Olympia driver dies after his car leaves U.S. 101 near Oyster Bay
A 65-year-old Olympia driver died after his truck left U.S. 101 and struck a tree early Thursday morning.
The incident occurred after midnight on U.S. 101 near Old Olympic Highway and Oyster Bay in northwest Thurston County, according to a press memo from Washington State Patrol.
The driver was traveling south in his 2010 Ford F-150 pick-up truck when the truck left the roadway on the left. The memo says the truck crossed over a cable barrier and the northbound lanes of the highway before striking a tree. The truck came to rest on the right shoulder of northbound lanes of the highway.
The driver, whose name has been withheld until next of kind is notified, died at the scene. He reportedly wore a seatbelt, and his truck was totaled.
Troopers responded to the scene to investigate, and Washington State Department of Transportation crews provided traffic control. The roadway was blocked for nearly three hours, according to the memo.
The cause of the collision remained under investigation Thursday morning. However, troopers suspect drugs or alcohol may have been involved.
Fatalities from motor vehicle crashes in Washington State reached 750 in 2022, about 39% more than the 538 reported in 2019, according to data from state Traffic Safety Commission.
Fatal collisions in Thurston County have fluctuated in recent years, but data from WSDOT shows suspect serious injury collisions have been on the rise.
