Olympia man at center of fatality crash on US 12 Monday morning
A 43-year-old Olympia man was at the center of a fatality crash that closed U.S. Highway 12 in both directions for hours Monday morning, according to the Washington State Patrol.
The man who died was James R. Smith, 20, of Castle Rock, troopers say.
About 6:30 a.m. Monday, the Olympia man was driving a Toyota Prius west on US 12 in Lewis County, near Mossyrock. Troopers say he drove off the road and struck a guardrail, then veered across the center line and into eastbound traffic. That’s when he crashed head-on into a Nissan Altima, according to the State Patrol.
Smith, a passenger in the Nissan, died at the scene. The 25-year-old La Center man driving the Nissan was injured and taken to Arbor Health, Morton Hospital.
The Olympia man was injured and taken to Tacoma General Hospital.
The crash is under investigation, according to the State Patrol.
This story was originally published October 27, 2020 at 5:45 AM.
