Yelm man killed when Jeep crashed into trees off College Street in Lacey on Thursday

A driver died Thursday after he lost control of his vehicle, left the roadway and crashed into trees on College Street in Lacey.

Mathew Bergin, 38, of Yelm, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Lacey Police Sgt. Jeremy Knight said officers were dispatched at 12:52 p.m. Thursday, April 11, to a vehicle that had slammed into a tree. He said the department received word just a few minutes before the wreck that a white Jeep Cherokee was driving recklessly and turning onto College Street from Yelm Highway.

Knight said the driver was swerving and almost hitting other vehicles. He then lost control, crossed southbound lanes of traffic and struck trees near 32nd Lane. Knight said speed is believed to have been a factor in the crash.

Traffic was affected on College Street for about three hours.

This story was originally published April 12, 2024 at 11:24 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