CHOKEPOINTS

WB I-90 reopens near SR 18 after driver allegedly runs down pedestrian

Jun 19, 2025, 1:15 PM | Updated: 4:06 pm

Washington State Patrol vehicle...

A Washington State Patrol vehicle. (Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)

(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)

Washington State Patrol (WSP) has arrested a 42-year-old man after troopers say he hit and killed a 66-year-old while driving impaired near SR 18 on I-90.

The westbound lanes were closed for multiple hours after the crash near milepost 23. Law enforcement says the driver tried to escape after hitting the pedestrian by attempting to hijack another car.

A black Toyota Sequoia struck a pedestrian, then fled the scene before becoming disabled near the exit. The driver attempted to carjack a white pickup but was unable to get inside,” Trooper Rick Johnson told MyNorthwest. “Another trooper arrived and was able to take the individual into custody. Unfortunately, the pedestrian was deceased.”

The driver is facing charges for felony hit-and-run, resisting arrest, and suspected impairment.

“I just drove by!! It was right after it happened! Holy c*** I’m so shook!!” a driver wrote on X under WSP Trooper Rick Johnson’s post. “Definitely saw a body part in the road and a body under a blanket. Wow. So sad!!”

Trooper Rick Johnson says no weapons were involved and no troopers were severely hurt.

“There are just a few scratches on our troopers and a few scratches on the suspect, but everyone was checked out,” Johnson said. 

Follow Frank Sumrall on X. Send news tips here.

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WB I-90 reopens near SR 18 after driver allegedly runs down pedestrian