Traffic

1 person injured from multi-car crash on South Hill highway. A driver has been arrested

The roadway is closed at state Route 161 on South Hill following a crash on Friday morning.
The roadway is closed at state Route 161 on South Hill following a crash on Friday morning. Washington State Patrol Trooper John Dattilo

A four-car crash closed a South Hill highway early Friday morning.

A 16-year-old Puyallup boy was driving his 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee south on state Route 161 near 144th Street East when he allegedly drove into the northbound lanes and struck two vehicles at about 4:14 a.m. A fourth vehicle driving north struck the debris from the crash, according to a Washington State Patrol news release.

The teenager was arrested on suspicion of DUI vehicular assault. He was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup for his injuries, along with his 17-year-old passenger, the release said. The drivers of the second and third vehicles also were taken to local hospitals for their injuries.

A 56-year-old passenger in the third car was injured but not transported to the hospital, the release said. The 48-year-old driver of the fourth car was uninjured.

One person has serious, but non-life threatening injuries, according to Washington State Patrol Trooper John Dattilo on X.

State troopers shut down Route 161 northbound at milepost 23.23 near 144th Street East for a number of hours to investigate the crash and remove damaged vehicles.

This story was originally published November 1, 2024 at 7:55 AM.

Puneet Bsanti
The News Tribune
Puneet Bsanti is the East Pierce County Reporter for The News Tribune. She started with the newspaper in 2023 as the breaking news reporter. After she graduated from Washington State University, she was an intern for the Bellingham Herald. Her work in breaking news was recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists in 2022. Support my work with a digital subscription
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