Troopers ID Tacoma man killed in I-5 crash that snarled traffic through Lakewood area
A Tacoma man was killed and two others injured following a multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 5 in Lakewood Tuesday evening that caused massive backups for hours.
State troopers said the wreck occurred about 5:16 p.m. when a semi-truck driving north on I-5 near 47th Avenue came upon five vehicles stopped in traffic. The truck struck three of the vehicles, killing the 34-year-old driver of a 2016 Dodge Journey, according to a Washington State Patrol media release. State troopers identified him as Eloy Casillas Rojas.
The fourth vehicle struck the fifth vehicle which then struck a sixth. Five of the vehicles stopped on the right shoulder, and another came to a rest in a travel lane. The road was partially blocked for five hours, the release said.
Two drivers were injured and taken to Tacoma General Hospital. The driver of the semi-truck was not injured, and it has not been determined if he will be charged for the crash.
The cause of the crash is under investigation, troopers said in the news release.
