WASHINGTON, USA — Officials arrested three people in separate crashes on Washington roads Sunday. All crashes involved impaired drivers and one crash was deadly.
"We had troopers out there looking for impaired drivers. There were 32, and more once I ran the numbers again, from this Thanksgiving period," said Trooper Rick Johnson of the Washington State Patrol.
First crash: 12:20 a.m. Sunday
The Washington State Patrol responded to two separate wrong-way crashes within two hours in the early morning hours Sunday. The first crash happened shortly after midnight on state Route 520 near 84th Avenue. The causing driver was driving eastbound in the westbound lanes when they hit a car driving in the correct direction. The victim was taken to Harborview Medical Center in critical condition.
The causing driver was arrested for DUI and vehicular assault.
Second crash: 1:20 a.m. Sunday
Just about an hour later, deputies responded to another wrong-way crash, this time on Interstate 90 near Rainier Avenue. The suspect was driving eastbound in the westbound lanes when they hit a car driving in the correct direction. The victim suffered broken ribs due to the crash.
The suspect was arrested for suspicion of DUI and vehicular assault.
This holiday season, and every season thereafter, Johnson is urging people to drive sober.
“These did not need to happen," said Johnson. "We have 'wrong ways' year round, at times, but for two to happen on two of our major freeways within an hour, it's alarming."
Third crash: 11:40 p.m. Sunday
Deputies then responded to a crash on I-5 in Fife. According to WSP, a car crashed into the back of another, causing both cars to spin out. A 35-year-old man driving the victim vehicle died at the scene. The driver of the causing vehicle was arrested and charged with DUI and vehicular homicide.
The roadway was closed for over four and a half hours.
“These are preventable, and this time of year, it's kind of more glaring, I think, sometimes, because it's holiday parties, office parties," said Johnson. "It affects family members, aunts, uncles, sisters, parents... no one wants that, especially this time of year, but any time of year, really.”
Johnson also pointed out how the cost of taking a rideshare or public transit is nothing compared to the cost of human life.
"We really want people to make that choice and decision before they consume anything," said Johnson.
Blood samples were taken from each of the causing drivers, and the tests will need to be processed to prove impairment.
"I appreciate the information and the hard work all of our law enforcement does," said Stacey Huntington, a driver from Issaquah who spoke to KING 5 on Monday.
She told a terrifying story of her own from past incidents.
"I was lucky twice," Huntington said. "A wrong-way driver on the West Seattle Bridge, and another on I-5 coming straight at me as I was leaving Seattle going South. I wish that on no one."
She said she believes the reason her life was spared was because of her defensive driving skills, looking side to side and anticipating the worst.
"I slowed down. I was very calm, and I saved my life and my husband's life," she said.
Huntington said she is frustrated about how reckless other Washington drivers can sometimes be.
"Your life is on the line and so are other people's lives," said Huntington.
The Washington Traffic Safety Commission reported a 63% increase in fatalities involving impaired drivers since 2019.
With the total number of traffic fatalities surpassing 800 last year, the Traffic Safety Commission is pushing for the legal blood alcohol content limit to be lowered from .08 percent to .05 percent in Washington state.