Wreck on SR 161 in Graham kills driver turning onto road from unmarked driveway
A person was killed in a 2-car crash in Graham on Friday after a car turned onto state Route 161 from an unmarked driveway and was struck by a pickup truck traveling south, the Washington State Patrol said.
The crash occurred at about 7:30 p.m. on State Route 161, also known as Meridian Avenue East, near 280th Street East. In a news release, troopers said a man driving a silver Nissan pickup truck with a trailer attached was traveling south when a 1996 Honda Accord turned left onto the road from a driveway.
The vehicles collided, and the driver of the Honda was killed. The victim has not been identified. A 51-year-old man driving the pickup truck was injured and transported to Tacoma General Hospital.
Troopers said the cause of the crash is under investigation, but they believe drugs or alcohol were involved. According to the news release, the person killed in the collision was not wearing a seat belt.
Graham Fire & Rescue, the Washington State Department of Transportation and WSP troopers responded to the collision.
The two vehicles came to a rest on opposite shoulders of Meridian Avenue East. The pickup truck’s trailer detached during the collision and also stopped on the shoulder.
While troopers investigated the collision Friday evening, the roadway was closed in both directions for a little more than five hours.
This story was originally published February 5, 2022 at 9:47 AM.
