Westbound lanes of Interstate 90 were fully closed at State Route 18 Thursday afternoon because of a deadly crash, according to Washington State Patrol (WSP) troopers. WSP now says they’ve arrested a 42-year-old Sammamish man, who they believe is responsible for the crash.
WSP reports that the suspect was driving a Toyota Sequoia when he hit and killed a person who was on the side of I-90. WSP says the victim, a 66-year-old man from Bellevue, may have been fixing the flat tire troopers noticed on the front wheel of his red sedan.
“Some of the vehicle was actually on the dirt part of the shoulder, so that was way off the road,” Trooper Rick Johnson said. “We’re trying to establish where that individual was when they were struck.”
The call came in around 12:20 p.m. on Thursday. By 4 p.m., westbound I-90 was reopened to traffic, but not before a heavy amount of traffic along I-90 was diverted onto SR-18.
WSP said the suspect kept driving after hitting and killing the man. Eventually, his car stopped working near the Preston exit.
“There is heavy front-end damage, so I’m assuming whatever occurred there caused the vehicle to become disabled,” Johnson said.
The driver then, according to Trooper Johnson, tried to carjack a pickup truck, and when that didn’t work, tried to climb into the bed of it.
At that time, troopers had responded, and when a lieutenant confronted the driver, he reportedly became combative.
The call came in around 12:20 p.m. on Thursday. By 4 p.m., westbound I-90 was reopened to traffic, but not before a heavy amount of traffic along I-90 was diverted onto SR-18.
WSP said the suspect kept driving after hitting and killing the man. Eventually, his car stopped working near the Preston exit.
“There is heavy front-end damage, so I’m assuming whatever occurred there caused the vehicle to become disabled,” Johnson said.
The driver then, according to Trooper Johnson, tried to carjack a pickup truck, and when that didn’t work, tried to climb into the bed of it.
At that time, troopers had responded, and when a lieutenant confronted the driver, he reportedly became combative.