Two dead after 3 wrong-way DUI crashes in Pierce County

3 wrong-way DUI crashes in 2.5 hours in Pierce County

Troopers are investigating three separate wrong-way crashes early Sunday morning, where each causing driver was arrested for DUI.

PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. - The Washington State Patrol (WSP) is investigating three separate wrong-way crashes that happened in Pierce County Sunday morning, with one incident killing two people.

WSP says the first crash happened just after 2 a.m. on westbound State Route 512.

Troopers say the causing driver was traveling eastbound in the westbound lane. There were two people in the causing SUV, including a woman and her one-and-a-half year old infant.

The wrong-way driver hit another SUV with three people inside, and two of them died in the crash. The third person was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.

WSP says the woman who caused the crash is in custody for two counts of DUI vehicular homicide. The infant in her vehicle was injured but is doing okay.

The second crash happened on northbound I-5 around 3 a.m.

Troopers say another wrong-way driver struck a vehicle head on, injuring a passenger from the victim vehicle. The passenger suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries, and the causing driver was also arrested for DUI vehicular assault.

The third crash was at the interchange from southbound I-5 to northbound I-705, happening not long after the second crash.

WSP says a wrong-way driver struck a small SUV head on, and the causing driver was arrested for DUI.

After the crash, another vehicle came through the scene and struck one of the occupants of the victim car. WSP says poor visibility was a main factor, as it was dark in the area and the taillights of the involved vehicles were broken.

The person who was struck is expected to survive but suffered serious injuries, and the driver of the third car is cooperating with troopers, according to WSP.

These crashes all happened in the span of just two-and-a-half hours. It's also the first weekend of June, marking the start of the "Deadliest 90 Days of Summer."

Trooper John Datillo, who responded to all three incidents, calls the series of crashes "disheartening."

"Especially when we're responding to a scene, like where we are here on 512 where two people lost their lives as a result of someone's decision to drink and drive," Trooper Datillo said.