Driver hits both sides of Narrows Bridge before rolling and blocking state Route 16

An erratically driven SUV struck both sides of the westbound Tacoma Narrows Bridge Saturday morning before rolling over and blocking state Route 16, according to the Washington State Patrol. The driver was seriously injured.

The incident began just after 11:30 a.m. when other drivers saw a 1997 Infiniti SUV strike a bridge barrier, according to State Patrol spokeswoman Johnna Batiste.

“It crossed all four lanes and struck both sides of the guardrail,” Batiste said.

The vehicle continued westbound but eventually struck a concrete barrier near 24th Street NW. The Infiniti then rolled over and ended up in the center two lanes of the road.

The driver, a 50-year-old Belfair man, sustained serious injuries and was transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, Batiste said.

The roadway was blocked for 44 minutes.

Craig Sailor

The News Tribune

253-597-8541

Craig Sailor has worked for The News Tribune since 1998 as a writer, editor and photographer. He previously worked at The Olympian and at other newspapers in Nevada and California. He has a degree in journalism from San Jose State University.