King County: The Washington State Patrol (WSP) had four patrol vehicles struck on the roads of King County last night and into this morning. The first incident occurred around 11:00pm when a trooper was stopped at a traffic light on SR 516 and Military Rd. The light turned green, and he noticed a vehicle at the light with the driver apparently asleep. He was unable to get the driver’s attention at which time the vehicle started rolling into the intersection. The trooper placed his vehicle in front of the other vehicle and was struck and prevented the vehicle from rolling into the intersection. The driver was subsequently arrest for suspected impairment. The next three patrol car collisions occurred just before 3:00am this morning when two Washington State Patrol (WSP) troopers were at the scene of a hit and run collision SB I-5 near the Boeing Access Road blocking lane 1. A vehicle traveling SB I-5 came into the scene and struck one patrol vehicles pushing it into the other patrol vehicle and subsequently struck the second patrol vehicle. Thankfully, the troopers were not hurt. The driver of the vehicle was placed into custody for suspected impairment and luckily did not sustain any serious injuries. Shortly after this collision another trooper was responding to assist with traffic control and as he was approaching the scene he was struck by another vehicle. The driver of this vehicle was also placed into custody for suspected impairment. This is a glaring example of the dangers troopers face on the roadways every day and these collisions could have one hundred percent (100%) been avoided! These two drivers made a choice to get behind the wheel impaired and put several lives in danger.
Washington State Patrol Chief John R. Batiste stated, “Driving after or while consuming alcohol or drugs is a terrible choice and can cost you your life or someone else’s. We need you to buckle up, slow down and mover over for your troopers and first responders. Let’s all give ourselves a chance to appreciate and responsibly celebrate the holidays with loved ones and friends.”