Car crashes into gate at Lewis-McChord; driver killed
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. - Authorities are investigating after a car crashed into a gate guardhouse at Joint Base Lewis-McChord early Thursday, killing the driver and damaging the guardhouse.
Base spokesman Matt Hinkle said the vehicle was exiting the base when it slammed into the guardhouse at Lewis-McChord's East Gate sometime before 5 a.m.
The impact reportedly damaged the guardhouse and sparked a fire that was quickly extinguished. The guardhouse was unoccupied at the time of the crash.
The driver of the car died in the crash. No one else was in the vehicle.
Joint Base Lewis-McChord is investigating the crash and working to positively identify the driver of the car.
There was no immediate explanation of what caused the vehicle to crash into the gate.
One lane of incoming traffic is currently being allowed in through the East Gate, Hinkle said. Outgoing traffic is being diverted out Roy Gate.
Base spokesman Matt Hinkle said the vehicle was exiting the base when it slammed into the guardhouse at Lewis-McChord's East Gate sometime before 5 a.m.
The impact reportedly damaged the guardhouse and sparked a fire that was quickly extinguished. The guardhouse was unoccupied at the time of the crash.
The driver of the car died in the crash. No one else was in the vehicle.
Joint Base Lewis-McChord is investigating the crash and working to positively identify the driver of the car.
There was no immediate explanation of what caused the vehicle to crash into the gate.
One lane of incoming traffic is currently being allowed in through the East Gate, Hinkle said. Outgoing traffic is being diverted out Roy Gate.
 @Chris Kramer Was the light usually on at that time?
 @L.Wilson How do you know the light wasn't on that morning?
Guardhouse looks like it's been attacked with explosives. It couldn't have looked that good to start with.
The street light that normally illuminates the guard shack wasn't working this morning at that time...the guard shack wasn't illumiated by the light in front of the shack. It was a contributing factor...no doubt that speed was one also, but that light should have been working.
I can't imagine the speed limit on any road within JBLM could so high as to cause such damage. The driver could not have been doing any legit speed on-base.Â
Drunk driver not wearing a seatbelt?Â
Terrorist FAIL, Â I think.
The person that crashed committed suicide, the guardhouse has not had anyone work in it for a few years. I know this I work on base at the hospital and come through that gate every morning for work
Maybe the person died behind the wheel, then crashed. Lots of retirees around the base, armchair detectives.
Glad that no one was in the guardhouse at the time.Â
Suicidal ?
That bollard did a lot of good.
Did this individual hit it from the side? It looks like he went in one side and almost out the other? I'm not even sure how that would be physically possible... I'm with scared_citizen... I would be surprised if speed and alcohol weren't contributing factors...
@Table9 He went strait in upon impact the rear end lifted slightly and the car twisted to the left happens regularly when somebody hits a imovable object
Yea slightly damaged the gaurdjouse I would say. On the way out of post to. Drugs and or booze. Glad the no one else was hurt..
"Damaging the guardhouse"? How about demolished?
Strange. I remember the good old days from 1998 when you could drive on and off post without ID check as long as you had a sticker on your windshield. Man, I miss those days. Peacetime.
 @northwestsurfer When you referred to McChord AFB or Ft. Lewis individually and didnt get crossed eyed corrects over it now being a "Joint Base" is what I remembered.
@northwestsurfer The Kosovo war was taking place in 1998. NATO was there, including our military. Not exactly peacetime.Â
@caphillkid I know, I was at Ft Lewis then, I remember distinctly. No use splitting hairs, if you consider then and now, it was peacetime. There was and always will be conflicts in the world, but those were isolated to one region, and were not based on the common theme that the world is based on now; "tyranny", "WMD", terrorism, etc. At least you could go to the airport and walk with your family to the gate.
 @northwestsurfer Yeah, it was fun getting saluted and waved through just because of the sticker on your vehicle.
Alcohol and speed may have been a factor.Â
This made the news!!!!!