‘Quickly escalated’: 20 vehicles involved in early morning I-5 collision
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Debris on northbound I-5 near Pierce-King border triggered a multi-vehicle pileup.
- Initial wreck involved numerous vehicles; collisions escalated as others hit debris.
- One person taken to hospital; lanes were cleared after nearly four hours.
Story has been updated with additional details.
An early morning multi-vehicle collision on northbound Interstate 5 Monday near the border of Pierce-King counties sent one person to the hospital.
A total of 20 vehicles were involved, according to a Washington State Patrol media release following the accident. An earlier report posted online stated 21.
The incident, originally called in around 5 a.m. and at first involving 10 vehicles, was blamed on debris on the roadway.
According to the patrol’s incident report released mid-afternoon Monday, the first two vehicles involved were traveling northbound on I-5 at milepost 139 and struck debris in the road, coming to rest on the left shoulder.
WSP trooper Kameron Watts wrote on social media that the pileup “quickly escalated” with more vehicles involved.
According to the incident report, vehicles three through 14 swerved to avoid debris and other vehicles, striking one another and also coming to rest on the left shoulder.
The rest of the vehicles struck debris, coming to rest on the right and left shoulders of the interstate.
The affected portion of the interstate was partially blocked for nearly four hours, the report noted.
The pileup occurred in the Milton-Fife area, and left multiple cars with flat tires “pulled off to the right shoulder,” Watts added. “Most of these collisions were car vs. debris and some were minor car-to-car collisions.”
The original debris in the road “was a car part such as muffler or bumper that was lost from a car from a previous collision that took place right before 5 a.m.,” Watts wrote.
One person was transported to St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma; three others were injured but not transported, according to the incident report.
This story was originally published January 19, 2026 at 9:34 AM.
