6 Washington State Patrol cars in King County were struck in 5 days

A Washington State Patrol (WSP) trooper’s vehicle was hit Tuesday night while responding to a collision, marking the sixth WSP vehicle hit by civilians in the last five days.

WSP Public Information Officer Rick Johnson detailed the incident that occurred Tuesday night on X. He said a trooper was blocking one of the lanes on State Route 167 (SR 167) north near Interstate 405 (I-405) for a collision. Another vehicle approaching the scene didn’t move over and struck the patrol car, Johnson said. He added the WSP trooper, who was in his vehicle at the time of the collision, went to the hospital with minor injuries.

A tow truck driver on the scene also sustained minor injuries and was taken to a local hospital.

Johnson reported that the driver was not impaired in any way. He also reported on X that Tuesday’s incident was the sixth WSP vehicle hit just five days.

But that wasn’t the case last weekend when in the span of just four hours, four WSP vehicles were struck by three suspected impaired drivers late Saturday and early Sunday, highlighting the dangers troopers face on the roadways.

The first incident occurred around 11 p.m. on Saturday at the intersection of Highway 516 and Milita1ry Road in Kent, according to The Seattle Times. A trooper, stopped at a traffic light, noticed a driver asleep at the wheel. As the light turned green and the car began to roll into the intersection, the trooper maneuvered his vehicle in front of it to prevent a potential accident. The car struck the trooper’s vehicle, and the driver was subsequently arrested for suspected impairment.

MyNorthwest Weather: Snowy conditions in the Cascades brings ski season, difficult driving

The second series of crashes happened before 3 a.m. on Sunday on Interstate 5 (I-5) near the Boeing Access Road in Tukwila. Two troopers were investigating a hit-and-run accident when a car crashed into one of their patrol vehicles, pushing it into the other. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported, but the driver was arrested for suspected impairment.

A fourth patrol vehicle was struck while en route to assist with traffic control at the scene of the previous crashes. As the trooper approached the area, their vehicle was hit by another driver, who was also arrested for suspected impairment.

Washington State Patrol: ‘Two drivers …. put several lives in danger’

These incidents come just two days after WSP District 7 announced holiday emphasis patrols aimed at reducing impaired driving. Johnson emphasized the preventable nature of these collisions, stating, “These two drivers made a choice to get behind the wheel impaired and put several lives in danger.”

More from WSDOT: Massive project will disrupt traffic for 3 years as crews work to repair I-5

The last trooper killed in the line of duty, Chris Gadd, was struck by a suspected impaired driver while on patrol for drunken drivers near Marysville in March. That event underscores the ongoing risks faced by law enforcement officers.

“Driving after or while consuming alcohol or drugs is a terrible choice and can cost you your life or someone else’s,”  WSP Chief John Batiste said in a press release. “We need you to buckle up, slow down, and move over for your troopers and first responders. Let’s all give ourselves a chance to appreciate and responsibly celebrate the holidays with loved ones and friends.”

Editors’ note: This story originally was published on Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. It has been updated and republished multiple times since then.

Contributing: KIRO 7; Steve Coogan

Bill Kaczaraba is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here. Follow Bill on X, formerly known as Twitter, here and email him here.