Southbound Interstate 5 near South 56th Street in Tacoma, where a DUI crash sent one woman to the hospital and closed the freeway for hours. Source: Google Maps.
KEY DETAILS
DATE & TIME
Crash occurred around 12:25 a.m. Friday, August 28, 2026
LOCATION
I-5 southbound near S 56th St, Tacoma, WA
VICTIM
A 45-year-old Renton woman was hospitalized with injuries; a 37-year-old Chehalis man was arrested on suspicion of DUI
ROAD CLOSURES
Southbound I-5 was shut down for about two and a half hours during the investigation
INVESTIGATION
Washington State Patrol is investigating; the DUI charge could be elevated to felony vehicular assault
A driver was arrested and a woman was hospitalized after a three-vehicle crash on southbound Interstate 5 near 56th Street in Tacoma early Friday morning. Authorities say a 37-year-old Chehalis man was driving down the right shoulder when his vehicle struck a woman’s car that was parked with its hazard lights on. The impact pushed that vehicle into a third car also stopped on the shoulder. The crash happened around 12:25 a.m. and shut down the freeway for roughly two and a half hours while troopers investigated.
According to the Tacoma News Tribune, citing a Washington State Patrol release, the Chehalis man was booked into the Pierce County Jail on suspicion of misdemeanor DUI and released on $1,000 bail around 7 a.m. A 45-year-old Renton woman was taken to the hospital with injuries from the crash, while a 43-year-old Seattle woman in the third vehicle was not reported injured. Investigators say the charge could be elevated to felony vehicular assault if the victim’s injuries meet the threshold of substantial bodily harm. The Washington State Patrol continues to investigate the crash.
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Tacoma News Tribune
@tacomaupdates · Aug 28, 2026
One arrested, one hospitalized after three-vehicle DUI crash in Tacoma
Washington law makes it a crime to drive a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, whether measured by a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher or by observable impairment. A first-time DUI is typically charged as a gross misdemeanor, but when impaired driving causes injury to another person, prosecutors can pursue enhanced charges. Troopers cited this statute as the basis for arresting the Chehalis driver after the Tacoma crash.
Under Washington’s vehicular assault statute, a driver who operates a vehicle while under the influence and causes substantial bodily harm to another person can face a Class B felony charge. This law lets prosecutors elevate what might otherwise be a misdemeanor DUI into a felony when a victim’s injuries are serious enough. Investigators noted this case could see the charge upgraded depending on the extent of the Renton woman’s injuries.
This summary is general information, not legal advice. Every case depends on its specific facts.
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