One killed in single-car crash that ended in flames on I-5 near Tumwater Monday morning

One person was killed early Monday in a one-vehicle crash off Interstate 5 in Tumwater that ended when the vehicle burst into flames.

Washington State Patrol trooper Robert Reyer said Tumwater fire and state troopers were called at 5:20 a.m. to the scene of a vehicle in flames off the southbound I-5 ramp near Tumwater Boulevard. Reyer said it appears the driver may have left the main roadway and crossed to the far right ramp lane. The car left the road, rolled into a line of trees and burst into flames.

Fire crews arrived and put out the car fire, which revealed the body of the car’s single occupant. It’s was unclear Monday who the person was or exactly what happened.

Reyer said the ramp was closed as crews investigated, but it was back open by 9:30 a.m. One of the trees hit in the crash may need to be cut down.

This story was originally published September 26, 2022 at 8:10 AM.

Ty Vinson

The Olympian

360-357-0201

Ty Vinson covers the City of Olympia and keeps tabs on Tumwater and other communities in Thurston County. He joined The Olympian in 2021. Before that, he earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism at Indiana University. In college, he worked as an intern at the Northwest Indiana Times, the Oregonian and the Arizona Republic as a Pulliam Fellow. Support my work with a digital subscription