Crash that closed highway Sunday was triggered by driver ‘following too close,’ WSP says
A 69-year-old man was airlifted to a Tacoma hospital on Sunday after a crash on U.S. Highway 12 that also blocked both directions of the road for several hours, according to the Washington State Patrol.
About 10:50 a.m., the 69-year-old Lewis County man was headed east on U.S. 12 near the town of Salkum.
Behind him was a 35-year-old woman from Mossyrock with a 61-year-old male passenger.
Troopers say the 69-year-old man slowed down to make a left turn and the Mossyrock woman crashed into him. The woman was “following too close,” according to State Patrol.
The woman and her passenger were not hurt, troopers say.
The crash closed the highway until about 2 p.m. Sunday, according to the state Department of Transportation.
This story was originally published May 11, 2025 at 4:20 PM.
