The striking driver and two passengers were hurt, and that driver was arrested on suspicion of DUI and vehicular assault.
KENT, WA - November 1, 2026
A Washington State Patrol (WSP) trooper moved a driver he was assisting to safety moments before another vehicle struck the patrol car on I-5 near Kent. WSP said neither the trooper nor the driver was hurt, but the striking driver and two passengers were injured.
Key Facts
- Date: Sunday, November 1, 2026
- Location: Left shoulder of I-5 near Kent, Washington, partially blocking the HOV lane
- Type of crash: A vehicle struck a Washington State Patrol patrol car, pushing it into a disabled vehicle
- Vehicles involved: Washington State Patrol patrol car, the disabled vehicle, and the vehicle that struck the patrol car (makes and models were not reported)
- Injuries / fatalities: Striking driver and two passengers injured and taken to a hospital; trooper and assisted driver not injured
- Responding agencies: Washington State Patrol
- Reported by: KIRO 7 News Seattle
Crash Overview
WSP said Trooper MacDonald stopped to help a disabled vehicle that was partially blocking the HOV lane on the left shoulder near Kent. Following a conversation with that driver, the trooper grew suspicious of impairment and opened a DUI case.
During that probe, a second car hit the patrol car, pushing it into the stalled vehicle. According to WSP, before impact the trooper pulled the driver he was assisting over the barrier so both would be clear of the collision's path. Neither was hurt in the impact.
WSP said the driver of the striking vehicle was arrested on suspicion of DUI and vehicular assault. The striking driver and two passengers were taken to a hospital. WSP also noted that this was the second close call involving an impaired driver for Trooper MacDonald, and that in a separate incident last year his patrol car was struck while he was outside the vehicle, with no injuries to him. WSP added that this was the third time in ten days that someone had crashed into a state trooper's vehicle on I-5. The reports did not describe any further details.