Driver killed in massive I-5 pileup has been identified. Semi driver faces charges
NOTE: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified the deceased driver.
A Missouri semi truck driver was arrested Friday on suspicion of vehicular homicide and four counts of vehicular assault along with a DUI following the Friday morning crash on Interstate 5 that left a Lakewood man dead and four other people injured.
The crash involved two semi trucks and six passenger vehicles.
Crashed trucks, torn apart cars and the resulting investigation left I-5 blocked for more than seven hours Friday.
The Washington State Patrol identified the deceased driver as Dung T. Nguyen, 54, of Lakewood.
The arrested driver was identified as Gregory Jenkins, 65, of St. Louis.
Those injured included a 73-year-old Lacey man, a 28-year-old Tacoma woman, a 44-year-old Troutdale, Oregon woman and a 22-year-old Eugene, Oregon woman.
One person was taken to the hospital in critical condition and two people were transported in serious condition. One other person went to the hospital as a precaution and two other people were treated and released at the scene.
The collision was reported at about 7:47 a.m. near South 38th Street, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation. All lanes of the interstate were reopened at about 3:20 p.m., according to WSDOT.
In a preliminary report, the WSP said the semi truck driver was northbound in lane three of five lanes just south of South 38th Street. The other vehicles were stopped in traffic in lane three.
According to the WSP, the semi truck driver drove into Nguyen’s car. Nguyen’s car was then pushed into the others, resulting in a chain reaction collision.
This story was originally published March 19, 2022 at 12:10 PM.
