A motorcyclist died in Tacoma after he broke down near I-5 and was hit by a minivan

A motorcyclist was killed Saturday evening on Interstate 5 in Tacoma after being struck by a passing minivan. The minivan’s driver was arrested on suspicion of DUI, according to the Washington State Patrol.

The accident shut down southbound I-5.

The motorcyclist had apparently broken down and was stopped in the gore point — the wedge shape of pavement just before lanes merge — where southbound Interstate 705 distributes drivers onto southbound I-5.

The minivan was exiting I-705 when it struck the motorcyclist, according to State Patrol spokeswoman Trooper Johnna Batiste.

The man’s identity was not released.

The minivan then struck another vehicle. The driver of that vehicle sustained non-life-threatening injuries, Batiste said.

This story was originally published August 3, 2019 at 8:54 PM with the headline "A motorcyclist died in Tacoma after he broke down near I-5 and was hit by a minivan."