A late-night, three-vehicle collision on SR-167 near Auburn has left one injured and one dead.
At 1:39 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 30, a black 2018 Tesla and a red 2023 Toyota Tacoma were traveling southbound on SR-167 in Auburn, just north of SR-18. Both vehicles were traveling in lane two of four, while a 2007 Toyota Scion was traveling in an unknown lane. The Scion lost control and struck the left jersey barrier before coming to a stop in lane two.
A Washington State Patrol (WSP) memo states that the driver of the Scion likely exited the car, and that the driver of the Tesla then struck the Scion and its driver, who landed on the skip line of lane two and three – he was then struck by the Toyota Tacoma in lane two. The Tesla came to rest on the left shoulder, the Toyota Tacoma on the right shoulder and the Scion ended up in the ditch on the right. The driver of the Scion, a 33-year-old Tacoma man, died at the scene.
The driver of the Tesla, a 44-year-old man from Roy, was not wearing a seatbelt and was transported to Valley Medical Center to treat his injuries. WSP reports that the following charges have been brought against him: Vehicular homicide, hit-and-run and DUI. The driver of the Toyota Tacoma, a 48-year-old man from Graham, was wearing his seatbelt and was not harmed in the collision though his vehicle was damaged. Both the Scion and the Tesla were reported totaled.