PIERCE COUNTY, WA — Two people died early Thursday after a stray tire struck their vehicle on Interstate 5 in Lakewood, according to KOMO News.
The fatal accident occurred on the northbound side of I-5, near Exit 125 to Bridgeport Way Southwest. It was first reported by the Washington State Department of Transportation shortly after 5:45 a.m.
The events leading up to the incident remain unclear, but Washington State Patrol Trooper John Dattilo said a tire went through the windshield of a van and hit the vehicle’s two occupants. Both victims died as a result of injuries suffered in the crash.
No other vehicles appear to have been involved, and it was not immediately clear whether the loose tire will be able to be traced to another driver.
The right northbound lane and the Bridgeport Way Southwest exit ramp were shut down for about four hours for the response and investigation.
Though all travel lanes reopened at about 9:40 a.m., motorists were warned of a linger traffic backup that, at one point, had stretched all the way back to DuPont, 6.5 miles south of the scene.
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