2 dead, including a 15-year-old, after multiple vehicle collisions
Dec 3, 2024, 10:42 AM | Updated: 12:46 pm
Two people, including a 15-year-old driver, were killed in multiple separate vehicle collisions in Western Washington late Sunday and early Monday.
Person dies after Milton vehicle collision; suspect arrested
One person was killed and another was injured following a collision on Interstate (I-5) south near Milton late Sunday.
The Washington State Patrol (WSP) reported in a statement that a driver carrying two passengers crashed into the back of another car heading southbound.
Troopers arrested the driver, a 26-year-old man from Auburn, on suspicion of DUI and vehicular homicide.
One of the passengers, a 23-year-old Auburn man, was injured and transferred to St. Francis Hospital.
The driver of the vehicle that was hit, a 35-year-old man, died at the scene, according to the WSP. His name was redacted from the release as he was not from the state of Washington and his next of kin needed to be notified.
I-5 was closed for over 4 1/2 hours while, the WSP added.
Teen driving on Whidbey Island dies after hitting a pole
The WSP reported a 15-year-old girl died early Monday after the car she was driving struck a pole along State Route 20 (SR 20) on Whidbey Island.
Investigators says the teen driver, who was driving north, was going too fast for road conditions, crossed over the center line into the southbound lanes, left the road and hit the pole. She died at the scene.
The law enforcement agency stated it’s unknown at this time if drugs or alcohol were involved. It is also not known why the teen, whose identity was redacted because of her age, was driving a car by herself at that time of night.
2 area drivers arrested after crossing lanes, hitting other vehicles
Just after midnight Monday, a collision was reported on State Route (SR 520). The causing vehicle that caused the collision was traveling east in the westbound lanes approaching 84th when it hit a vehicle traveling in the correct direction.
The driver of the second vehicle had to be extricated and, subsequently, that person was rushed to Harborview Medical Center in critical condition. The driver of the vehicle going the wrong way was arrested for DUI and vehicular assault due to suspected impairment.
An hour after the SR 520 incident, at around 1:20 a.m. Monday, on Interstate 90 (I-90) west near Rainier Avenue, another significant vehicle collision occurred, the WSP explained.
The vehicle that caused the collision was traveling east in the westbound lanes and struck another vehicle that was moving in the correct direction.
The driver who caused the collision initially was arrested for suspicion of DUI. Subsequently, the agency determined the driver who was the victim in the collision sustained broken ribs. That turned the collision into an investigation into vehicular assault.
Referring specifically to the incidents that led to the DUI arrests, Trooper Rick Johnson, a WSP public information officer, noted in the agency’s press release that the incidents were avoidable and emphasized the importance of staying sober while driving.
“EVERY ONE of these tragic crimes were completely preventable,” Johnson wrote. “It is imperative to make good choices and to drive sober throughout this holiday season as well as every other time of the year.”
Steve Coogan is the lead editor of MyNorthwest. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Steve on X, or email him here.
