TACOMA, Wash. — Six people were killed and three others were injured in a collision on state Route 509 in Tacoma Sunday, according to the Washington State Patrol.
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) tweeted that the collision happened just after 11:15 a.m. near Alexander Avenue.
A gray Kia Forte hatchback was traveling eastbound on Alexander Avenue when a BMW SUV traveling northbound on SR 509 collided with the vehicle.
The Kia Forte came to rest on an embankment on the right side of the roadway. The BMW was blocking the intersection.
Six people in the Kia were killed, and one person is in critical condition. The victims are Arizona residents between the ages of 19 and 25. Three of the Kia passengers are from Phoenix, one is from Tuba City, Ariz. and another is from Kayenta, Ariz. Two others are unidentified.
The male driver, 42, and the female passenger, 40, in the BMW were both injured, but are expected to survive. They are both from Tacoma.
The Washington State Patrol said the crash was caused by speed and one of the drivers failing to stop for a red light, but did not specify which driver. Troopers are still investigating the collision.
Jackie Starr, who lives near the crash scene, said when she heard about what happened, she was devastated but not surprised as she knows firsthand how dangerous the intersection is.
“Just pulling out of my yard right here, I got hit last year on my birthday by some guy speeding,” Starr said. “All I did was pull out to turn and he tried to cut me off and hit me. They’re always speeding through here.”
Washington State Patrol Trooper John Dattilo said the intersection of State Route 509 and Alexander Avenue is specifically problematic. Dattilo said there have been six fatalities on SR 509 since 2018, and half of them were at the intersection with Alexander Avenue or nearby.
However, changes for that intersection are on the way. The city of Tacoma said in a statement that the intersection will be reconstructed as part of WSDOT's SR 167 Completion Project. The current phase of the project, which is focused on freight mobility issues, will be complete by 2026.
The city also said its public works department is working with Tacoma police and state patrol to learn more about the circumstances of the incident and it "remains committed" to Vision Zero and ending traffic fatalities and serious injuries in Tacoma by 2035.
Dattilo said the state patrol usually sees more collisions during the warmer months, and he urged people to be extra careful.
“We need to make sure everyone is not driving distracted,” Dattilo said. “We need to make sure everyone is sober when they’re driving, that everyone is maintaining their proper speeds and that everyone’s wearing their seatbelt. If we can get everyone to be on board with those four things, we would see a massive reduction in the number of fatalities on Washington’s roadways.”
SR 509 and Alexander Avenue were closed for several hours after the crash on Sunday. Both roadways reopened around 5:50 p.m.
Investigators with the Washington State Patrol are still looking into the cause of this collision and are calling on anyone with any information or may have witnessed the collision to come forward.