A 25-year-old Kent man remains in critical condition after the vehicle he was riding in struck a Washington State Patrol vehicle on southbound Interstate 5 near State Route 516 in Kent. The crash happened around 4:30 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. The patrol vehicle had stopped to help a disabled car, and the impact reportedly pushed it into a third vehicle. The trooper and the third driver were outside their vehicles and were not hurt.
According to the Kent Reporter, troopers arrested the driver, a 21-year-old man from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, for investigation of DUI and vehicular assault, and the State Patrol said he struck the back of the patrol vehicle. The outlet reports that a Harborview Medical Center spokesperson said on Nov. 4 that the Kent man was still in critical condition, while the driver and a 21-year-old Lacey passenger were in satisfactory condition. KOMO News also reported that a passenger in the striking vehicle was seriously injured and that the driver was arrested on suspicion of impairment. No formal charges had been reported, and any allegations remain unproven.
