Motorcyclist killed by suspected drunk driver while stopped at red light in Pierce County

A motorcyclist was killed Wednesday afternoon when a suspected drunk driver slammed into the back of his Harley-Davidson at a busy intersection in Pierce County. The crash happened at approximately 4:15 p.m. on 94th Avenue E. in the South Hill area of Puyallup, near the Red Barn Marketplace.

Pierce County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Carly Cappetto said the rider was doing everything right. He stopped at a red light behind a sedan when the suspect’s vehicle approached from behind and failed to stop.

“The DUI driver was driving at a high rate of speed and did not see the red light and was not able to stop in time, and actually crashed right into the back of that Harley rider,” Cappetto said.

The impact launched the rider roughly 20 feet forward, and the motorcycle was crushed between the suspect’s vehicle and the sedan in front. The motorcyclist died on impact.

Cappetto described the crash as a “very tragic incident,” especially given the time of year and conditions.

It was daylight and sunny at the time of the collision, and the intersection, a single-lane, high-traffic corridor, is known to be busy and demanding for drivers who need to pay close attention.

“I know it’s summertime, the weather’s beautiful, we do share our roads with a lot of motorcycle riders that are doing the right thing and following the rules of the road. And then here in this incident, we had an innocent motorcyclist who was stopped at a red light and hit from behind,” Cappetto said.

Suspect’s behavior was ‘very concerning’

Deputies arriving at the scene immediately focused on the driver who rear-ended the motorcycle. Cappetto said the man showed clear signs of intoxication and displayed confrontational behavior toward law enforcement.

“He was clearly showing signs of intoxication. And he was arguing and fighting with the police, not really taking any consideration of the fact that he just killed somebody, and that was very concerning,” Cappetto said.

At one point, the suspect tried to walk away from the scene, prompting a brief struggle.

“Deputies were done with him trying to walk away from the scene at this point for their investigation, so they ended up arresting him and detaining him after a short struggle and arresting him for the DUI and taking him to get processed for that,” Cappetto said.

Possible vehicular homicide charge

The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office traffic unit is leading the investigation. The intersection was shut down for several hours while detectives processed the scene and collected evidence.

Cappetto said the suspect faces DUI charges with a vehicular homicide attachment, and the case will be forwarded to prosecutors for charging decisions.

Authorities emphasized the preventable nature of the crash and urged drivers to be especially cautious and sober, as summer traffic increases and more motorcyclists share the road.

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