A traffic collision on State Route 18 at milepost 26 resulted in the death of one individual and significant disruption to traffic flow on Wednesday, May 29, 2024.
The Washington State Patrol (WSP) reported the incident at 6:47 PM, involving three vehicles: a white Ford pickup, a white Kia Forte, and a gray Volkswagen GTI.
At the time of the accident, vehicle one, a white Ford pickup, was traveling eastbound on SR18 in the single eastbound lane. Vehicles two and three, a white Kia Forte and a gray Volkswagen GTI respectively, were traveling westbound in the single westbound lane.
Vehicle one drifted into the oncoming lane, colliding with vehicle two before striking vehicle three head-on. The collision left vehicle one blocking the westbound lane, vehicle two blocking both the eastbound and westbound lanes and vehicle three blocking the eastbound lane. The roadway was obstructed for over three hours.
The collision resulted in the death of the driver of vehicle one, a 45-year-old male from Spokane Valley, WA. The identity of the deceased is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
The drivers of vehicles two and three, a 32-year-old man from Bonney Lake and a 30-year-old man from Centralia, were not injured. Both surviving drivers were wearing seatbelts at the time of the collision.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the cause of the accident was vehicle one traveling the wrong way. It is currently unknown whether drugs or alcohol were involved. The Washington State Patrol continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the collision.
Todd’s Towing towed all three vehicles from the scene. As the investigation progresses, further details will be provided.
