Street racer seriously hurt in rollover crash on I-5, State Patrol says

Two cars racing on northbound Interstate 5 in Tacoma on Thursday afternoon caused two vehicles to roll over, according to the Washington State Patrol. One of the drivers was seriously injured.

The crash happened about 1:50 p.m. on I-5 between the exits for 72nd Street and 56th Street.

A red car and a black Mazda Miata convertible were racing when they collided, State Patrol spokeswoman Brooke Bova said.

The collision left the Mazda on its roof, seriously injuring its driver, Bova said. He was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries.

The collision caught up a third car, a yellow Kia Soul, which ended up on its side. The 75-year-old Tacoma woman driving that car suffered minor injuries and was taken to Tacoma General Hospital, Bova said.

The red car, which may have significant front-end damage, fled the scene.

Within half an hour of the crash, traffic backed up all the way to the exit for state Route 512, 3 miles away.

Because the man was seriously injured during what troopers believe is a racing incident, Bova said the State Patrol is conducting a felony investigation.

The lanes did not reopen until 4:15 p.m.

This story was originally published September 28, 2017 at 2:09 PM with the headline "Street racer seriously hurt in rollover crash on I-5, State Patrol says."