A suspected DUI crash involving five vehicles injured five people early Monday, March 23, on northbound I-5 just south of South 178th Street in SeaTac (map below), according to the Washington State Patrol.
Troopers said the collision happened at about 12:22 a.m. when the driver of one vehicle lost control and struck a second vehicle. Three other vehicles then hit that second vehicle, creating a chain reaction crash on the freeway.
The State Patrol said the first vehicle came to rest on the left shoulder and caught fire. Other vehicles stopped in a left ditch, on the left shoulder and in lanes 2 and 3. The roadway was blocked for about four and a half hours.
Investigators identified the suspected driver as a 44-year-old Tacoma man, who was not injured and faces charges of DUI and vehicular assault, according to the report.
Among those hurt were a 59-year-old Renton man who was transported to Harborview Medical Center, a 27-year-old Federal Way man who was evaluated at the scene, and three occupants of another vehicle: a 23-year-old woman from McKinleyville, California, a 22-year-old woman from Trinidad, California, and a 20-year-old woman from Saint Helens, Oregon, all of whom were taken to Valley Medical Center.
Troopers said two vehicles were totaled, including a 2004 Toyota Corolla and a 2008 Honda Fit. Three others, a 2012 Toyota Tundra, a 2006 Ford Explorer and a 2008 Toyota Corolla, sustained reportable damage.
The State Patrol listed DUI as the cause of the collision and said drugs or alcohol were involved.
CLEARED: All lanes are open on NB I-5 at S 188th St after an earlier collision. https://t.co/NQ3FiIhWiO
— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) March 23, 2026
