Man struck, killed in traffic on I-5 in Fife identified by medical examiner

A 20-year-old man struck and killed by passing cars early Monday morning on southbound Interstate 5 in Fife was identified Thursday by the medical examiner.

Daniel Rush of Fife was the pedestrian killed in the incident, the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office said in a news release. The cause and manner of Rush’s death is pending further investigation.

The incident occurred at about 2:40 a.m. near 54th Avenue East, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.

State troopers initially said it was unclear whether Rush walked into traffic or fell from the overpass there. Trooper John Dattilo said Friday it still wasn’t known how the man ended up on the interstate.

Troopers said they believe multiple cars struck Rush, but only one driver stopped. The collision blocked all southbound traffic for a little more than four hours while law enforcement investigated.

This story was originally published April 28, 2023 at 10:20 AM.

Peter Talbot

The News Tribune

Peter Talbot is a criminal justice reporter for The News Tribune. He started with the newspaper in 2021. Before that, he earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism at Indiana University. In college, he worked as an intern at NPR in Washington, D.C. He also interned for the Oregonian and the Tampa Bay Times. Support my work with a digital subscription