As girl cried over mom after crash, other driver panicked and ordered an Uber, police say

The driver in a hit-and-run crash early Thursday in Puyallup panicked after the wreck and walked to a nearby store and ordered an Uber ride, according to the Washington State Patrol.

Hours after the wreck, police found the young daughter of the driver of the second vehicle crying at the side of the highway because she thought her severely injured mother was going to die.

Trooper Brooke Bova gave this account of the accident, which happened between midnight and 1:30 a.m. at state Route 512 near 94th Avenue East:

The State Patrol received word early Thursday of an erratic vehicle and then reports of a possible collision at Route 512 and Meridian Street.

Troopers didn’t find any evidence of a crash at that location, but then got reports of tire tracks leading into the brush at Route 512 and 94th Avenue East. They also were told of a little girl, standing on the side of the road and crying.

Troopers got to the scene at 3:35 a.m. and found the little girl, who was crying because she thought her mother was going to die.

The girl and her 35-year-old mother had been in a Lincoln Navigator that collided with a Honda Civic. Both vehicles ended up in brush off the side of the highway.

The Honda was abandoned, the driver and passengers having walked to a corner store and ordered the Uber ride.

The mother, who was still in the SUV, had suffered internal bleeding, broken ribs and broken legs. She underwent surgery later Thursday.

The little girl, believed to be about 5 or 6 years old, appeared unhurt.

The Honda driver was identified hours after the crash and spoke with detectives.

They said the driver did not have a driver’s license and thought the SUV had fled after the crash. No charges were filed in connection with the wreck as of Thursday afternoon.

Anyone with information about the crash is asked to call Detective Eric Gunderson at 253-538-3176.

KIRO