Motorcyclist in ‘critical condition’ after I-5 hit-and-run, WSP says
Troopers arrested a Gig Harbor driver after he hit a motorcyclist on Interstate 5 in Thurston County Tuesday night, according to the State Patrol.
The wreck occurred before 10 p.m. at milepost 93, which is just north of Grand Mound.
The Gig Harbor driver, a 51-year-old in a BMW, changed lanes as he traveled north and hit a 19-year-old motorcyclist from Salem, Oregon, according to a Washington State Patrol memo. The wreck reportedly pushed the motorcyclist onto the left shoulder where he struck a barrier.
The Gig Harbor driver allegedly fled the scene and later parked on the right shoulder of the ramp to Maytown Road on northbound I-5, per the memo.
First responders transported the motorcyclist to Providence St. Peter Hospital to be treated for his injuries. He was later airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle in “critical condition,” Trooper Kameron Watts shared on X.
Troopers suspect the Gig Harbor driver was driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, according to the memo.
“The car driver is in custody after attempting to flee the scene with signs of impairment,” Watts said on X.
The county jail log shows troopers booked him on suspicion of vehicular assault and hit-and-run injury or death.
Troopers blocked the far-left lane to allow for an investigation, Watts said. The road was partially blocked for more than three and a half hours, per the memo.
This story was originally published February 11, 2026 at 9:31 AM.
