The Olympian week in review

Fatal dump truck and car crash closes county highway

A fatal crash between a dump truck and a car closed a section of Old Highway 99 in Thurston County on May 18. Emergency responders were dispatched around 9 a.m. to the highway between Tenino and Tilley Road. Both vehicles caught fire, and the driver of the car died at the scene, according to Lt. Mike Brooks of the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office. Brooks noted the car appeared to be in the truck’s lane at the time of the crash. The truck driver was transported to a nearby hospital. The road reopened later that evening, though speeds were temporarily reduced due to slick conditions. The Thurston County Coroner’s Office was still working to identify the car’s driver as of May 18. South Thurston, West Thurston, and Tumwater fire departments all responded to the scene.

Reported by Rolf Boone | The Olympian, published May 18, 2026 6:57 PM

Tumwater auction firm fined for ivory figurine sale

A Tumwater-based auction company has pleaded guilty to violating Washington’s Animal Trafficking Act after selling a vintage elephant ivory figurine online. Crawford Family Auctions LLC entered the plea in Thurston County Superior Court, where Judge Chris Lanese sentenced the company to two years of probation and ordered it to pay a $10,000 fine plus a $2,000 criminal wildlife penalty. The figurine, described as a “Vintage Carved Ivory Netsuke of a Witch,” sold for $375 to a California buyer and was later seized by California wildlife authorities. Lab analysis confirmed it was carved from African elephant ivory, a species listed as endangered. The company’s attorney said the sale was unintentional, and prosecutors reduced the charge from a felony to a gross misdemeanor to facilitate a plea deal. Attorney General Nick Brown emphasized that enforcement of state law is essential to disrupting the global black-market trade in elephant ivory.

Reported by Martín Bilbao | The Olympian, published May 15, 2026 9:55 PM

Woman rescued from chest-deep mud near Budd Inlet

A woman was rescued from Ellis Cove near Budd Inlet in Olympia on Wednesday after sinking chest-deep into quicksand-like silt. The Olympia Fire Department, Olympia Police, Lacey Fire District 3, and the state Department of Fish and Wildlife responded around noon to the Ellis Cove trailhead in the 2600 block of East Bay Drive Northeast. Responders safely removed the woman with only minor injuries. She was evaluated on shore and declined further hospital care. The fire department used the incident to warn the public that tidal mudflats pose serious drowning and entrapment risks, noting that coastal areas can appear solid but liquefy instantly under weight, creating a vacuum-like suction that makes self-rescue nearly impossible.

Reported by Rolf Boone | The Olympian, published May 14, 2026 10:06 PM

Crisis unit talks man down from Olympia bridge

A man was transported to Providence St. Peter Hospital May 18 for a mental health evaluation and treatment after he allegedly threatened to jump from a west Olympia bridge, police say. The Olympia Police Department’s crisis response unit negotiated with the man from May 16 until approximately 1 p.m. May 18, according to Lt. Paul Lower. Officers and the crisis unit were first dispatched around 6:30 p.m. May 17 to a bridge crossing Percival Creek, located between the Olympia Auto Mall and Evergreen Park Drive on Cooper Point Road. A lane was closed May 17, but traffic lanes were reopened around 8 a.m. May 18 after negotiators moved to a confined area that allowed vehicles to pass, Lower said.

Reported by Rolf Boone, published May 18

Thurston County housing development plans revised

A major housing development in Thurston County’s Lacey urban growth area is being scaled back. Oak Tree Preserve, located at 2903 and 2905 Oakwood St. SE, has had its SEPA determination amended, reducing the number of planned single-family lots from over 1,000 to 803 across 258 acres. Despite fewer lots, the grading volume has increased to 2.4 million cubic yards. Developer Oak Tree Developer LLC says the change reflects larger lot and home sizes. Separately, Costco is advancing plans for a 166,000-square-foot store near Tumwater Boulevard and I-5, and MultiCare and Regence remain at odds over reimbursement rates, leaving Regence members out-of-network at MultiCare Capital Medical Center.

Reported by Rolf Boone, published May 15

Boat crash victim returns home after serious injuries

Jack Edwards, 21, has been discharged from the hospital and is recovering at home in west Olympia after a serious boat crash near Boston Harbor Marina on May 3, his mother, Jessica Edwards, confirmed. Edwards suffered significant injuries, including a broken right femur requiring a rod insertion, and is currently using crutches but can only manage a few steps at a time. Justin Erickson, 51, the operator of a 25-foot boat that struck the smaller vessel Edwards was aboard, was arrested on suspicion of assault by watercraft and has not been charged. Witnesses allegedly told investigators Erickson was speeding and boating recklessly. The Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office is now reviewing the case after the Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney recused his office. A GoFundMe campaign has raised approximately $30,000 toward a $35,000 goal.

Reported by Rolf Boone, published May 14

This story was originally published May 21, 2026 at 10:25 AM with the headline "The Olympian week in review."