Man, woman killed in separate crashes

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By KOMO Staff

Summary

A man and a woman were killed in two separate crashes on Highway 512 late Thursday night. The first driver was pinned underneath a semi, and the second slammed into a truck in the resulting backup.

Story Published: Mar 13, 2008 at 11:54 PM PDT

Story Updated: Mar 14, 2008 at 11:45 AM PDT

PUYALLUP, Wash. -- A man and a woman were killed in two separate crashes on Highway 512 on Thursday night.

The first accident took place in the westbound lanes of the highway, between Canyon Road and 94th just before 7 p.m.

State troopers said a semi truck was traveling west when it crashed through the cable barrier and crossed into oncoming lanes of traffic.

"(He was driving in the right lane, was reaching on the floor boards of his truck. (He) looked up and realized he had left the roadway," said Trooper Brandy Kessler with Washington State Patrol.

Troopers said the truck driver tried to correct, but it was too late.

"A vehicle traveling eastbound went underneath his trailer," Kessler said.

The driver of the pinned Kia Sephia, a 24-year-old man from Enumclaw, died at the scene. The driver of the truck was not hurt.

Minutes later, a driver of a Chevy Celebrity slammed into the crashed truck, but was not hurt.

Following the fatal crash, troopers shut down all but one of the westbound lanes and all of the eastbound lanes, triggering a backup. A detour was set up for the eastbound drivers.

About an hour after the first crash, a driver traveling east approached the backup too fast and slammed into a dump truck. The 48-year-old Spanaway woman driving the car died at the scene about a mile east of the original crash site.

The second crash caused the backup to extend to 3 miles at one point. 

It is not known whether the truck driver will face any charges.

A Department of Transportation official said while the cable barrier failed to stop the truck, a concrete wall would not have been any more effective since the truck, which was traveling at the speed limit, likely couldn't have been stopped.