A motorcyclist died in a head-on Tacoma crash. Police searching for hit-and-run driver
Update: The suspect in this case has been arrested and charged.
A 51-year-old motorcyclist from Mason County died in a head-on collision on state Route 16 in Tacoma early Friday, and police are searching for the wrong-way driver who fled.
The driver of a third vehicle involved in the crash was transported to St. Joseph Medical Center, according to the Washington State Patrol.
The crash occurred about 12:22 a.m. as a Jeep, whose driver later fled, was heading west on eastbound Route 16 near the Sprague Avenue exit while the other two vehicles were driving east, according to WSP.
The westbound Jeep first hit the eastbound motorcyclist head-on and then hit the third vehicle, a Mercedes sedan, according to WSP. All three vehicles came to a stop in the eastbound lanes and were declared total losses.
The motorcyclist, William R. Laver of Grapeview, died at the scene, according to WSP. He was wearing a helmet.
The hospital did not have a patient matching the name of the injured Mercedes driver, a 30-year-old from Tacoma, as of Friday afternoon. WSP said he was wearing a seat belt.
Trooper Robert Reyer, a WSP spokesperson, told The News Tribune that no arrests had been made as of 11 a.m. on Friday. Criminal charges are pending the investigation.
Troopers blocked the roadway for nearly five hours during the initial crash investigation, according to WSP.
This story was originally published September 16, 2022 at 10:56 AM.
