Man who drove off I-5 in Tumwater and landed in a retention pond has died

A 26-year-old man who lost control of his vehicle and drove off southbound Interstate 5 in Tumwater on Tuesday has died, according to a family member.

Thurston County Coroner Gary Warnock confirmed Thursday that Tyler Stueve of Olympia died a few hours after the crash at Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia. The cause of death was freshwater drowning, he said.

Stueve was southbound on I-5 about 2 p.m. Tuesday when he apparently lost control of his vehicle just before the exit to 93rd Avenue Southwest. His sedan rolled over into a retention pond and stopped partially submerged in water, Trooper Johnna Batiste said.

Batiste said Thursday the retention pond is not very visible from the freeway.

Stueve’s cousin Daphne Baltzell reached out to The Olympian about the incident.

“So many people miss him, I can’t even count,” she said. “I’ve never lost a family member prior to this. I never expected to lose someone who was close to me, nor did I expect it to be someone who was still so young. I never expected it to be Tyler.”

She added: “To anyone who reads this, please be safe when you drive.”

This story was originally published October 4, 2018 at 5:25 PM.