TACOMA, Wash. — An overnight crash involving four vehicles that blocked all lanes of southbound Interstate 5 in Tacoma for nearly seven hours may have been caused by racing, according to the Washington State Patrol.
The crash among three cars and a motorcycle happened near South 56th Street at around 1 a.m. Tuesday.
Washington State Patrol Trooper Robert Reyer said a 911 caller reported the three cars were racing before the crash, something that the state patrol says is happening more often.
After the three cars crashed, a motorcyclist, who had a passenger on board, clipped one of the cars. The 57-year-old man who was driving the motorcycle and his 32-year-old female passenger were taken to the hospital with serious injuries.
“We actually hear about these occurrences quite frequently, especially lately. This has been happening a lot more over the last year, year and a half. We’ve definitely been noticing an uptick in speeds and aggressive, very dangerous driving,” said Reyer.
A 35-year-old man who was driving one of the cars was also taken to the hospital.
The crash scene was a quarter-mile long.
All southbound lanes reopened at about 7:50 a.m.
Troopers say there is the potential for criminal charges to be filed for vehicular assault. They are also investigating whether any of the drivers were under the influence.