High-speed car crash in University Place ended with vehicle crushed, man killed
A driver lost control of his car early Sunday morning in University Place and went off the road at a high speed, crashing the vehicle and killing a 21-year-old passenger, according to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, .
The incident was reported at about 2:50 a.m. in the 3100 block of Bridgeport Way West. Sgt. Darren Moss said a witness reported she was driving north on Bridgeport Way when a vehicle came up behind her at a high rate of speed and changed lanes to pass her. She reported that when the car returned to her lane, the driver swerved off the roadway and crashed.
West Pierce Fire & Rescue and the Sheriff’s Department’s traffic unit responded and transported the vehicle’s two occupants, both men, to a hospital. The passenger was pronounced dead, Moss said, and the 20-year-old driver was severely injured. Officials have not publicly identified the passenger.
Moss said the vehicle, a 2015 Nissan Z, struck a fence and a tree before it stopped in front of a dog daycare and a law office. He said the car was crushed. Deputies suspect the driver may have been under the influence of alcohol. Moss said the driver’s blood was drawn for toxicology testing.
A crash investigation is ongoing, according to Moss, but he said speed was a factor. Bridgeport Way is a four-lane road in that area with a speed limit of 35 mph. Deputies said there was a small amount of water in the roadway because of nearby irrigation. Moss said that water wouldn’t have been an issue for a driver going the speed limit. It’s unclear exactly how fast the driver was going.
This story was originally published May 8, 2023 at 12:43 PM.
