Crash on I-5 in Kent leaves a Tacoma man dead. He was trying to merge from shoulder

A 51-year-old Tacoma man was killed in a three-vehicle crash on Interstate 5 in Kent on Thursday afternoon, according to the Washington State Patrol.

According to a WSP press memo, a Ford Fusion was driving slowly on I-5’s northbound shoulder near the state Route 516 exit around 3:45 p.m. When it attempted to merge into the right lane, a semi-truck struck the Fusion and forced into the adjacent lane, where the car was hit by another semi-truck.

Troopers pronounced the Ford Fusion driver dead at the scene. The man driving the second semi-truck was treated for minor injuries, and the first semi-truck’s driver reportedly had no injuries.

After the accident, the semi-trucks were able to move to the interstate’s right shoulder. The wrecked Ford Fusion came to a stop in the road and blocked traffic in the first two lanes from the right. According to the press memo, the lanes were blocked for just over three hours.

While both semi-truck drivers were wearing seat belts, it was unknown whether the man killed was wearing his. Troopers reported that drugs and alcohol were not involved in the crash.

This story was originally published July 1, 2022 at 12:24 PM.