Tacoma man is killed after driving the wrong way on I-5 near Lacey

A 28-year-old Tacoma man was killed Sunday after he drove north in the southbound lanes of Interstate 5 in Lacey and crashed into another vehicle, according to the Washington State Patrol.

The man's Chevrolet Malibu crashed into a a Toyota 4-Runner driven by a 16-year-old Chehalis girl about 4:40 a.m. The teen was taken to Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia; her injuries were not considered life-threatening, Trooper Guy Gill said.

The man was not identified because the State Patrol was working to notify his next of kin. The man lived in Tacoma and originally was from New Orleans, according to the State Patrol.

Investigators believe the man got on the freeway at Exit 109 in Lacey before crashing into the SUV in the left lane of southbound I-5 at Carpenter Road. It was unknown whether alcohol or drugs was a factor in the crash, Gill said.

The crash delayed traffic for hours. Eventually southbound traffic was allowed to pass on the shoulder before the lanes were reopened about 9:30 a.m.

During the closure, a woman sped through the crash area on the shoulder at 65 miles per hour, Gill said. A trooper later caught up with her and ticketed the woman for second-degree negligent driving, a fine of $550, he said.

This story was originally published June 17, 2018 at 10:09 AM with the headline "Tacoma man is killed after driving the wrong way on I-5 near Lacey."