Collision on Highway 161 in Graham involving motorcycles and a car leaves one rider dead

A collision involving two motorcycles and a car on state Route 161 near Graham killed one rider Friday night and sent another to a local hospital with serious injuries, the Washington State Patrol reported.

Initial reports of the incident came from Graham Fire & Rescue shortly before 10 p.m. The incident response closed the highway, also known as Meridian, in both directions at the 19600 block.

The driver of the car, a 42-year-old Kirkland woman, tried to turn southbound onto 161 from 196th Street Court East, a State Patrol memo said. The two motorcylists, traveling northbound on 161, crashed into the car.

In an online statement, the State Patrol said both riders were transported to a local hospital, noting that one, a 25-year-old Puyallup man, sustained fatal injuries. The other rider, a 28-year-old Puyallup man, received serious injuries.

Both riders were wearing helmets, the State Patrol notes. The roadway was closed in both directions for more than three hours.

This story was originally published March 25, 2022 at 11:03 PM.