3 dead in wrong-way crash on I-5 in WA

3 dead in wrong-way crash on I-5 in Thurston County, WA

THURSTON COUNTY, Wash. - A wrong-way crash on Interstate 5 south of Olympia left three people dead early Sunday morning, according to Washington State Patrol Trooper John Dattilo.

What we know:

The crash happened near the Scatter Creek Rest Area just north of Grand Mound, where a vehicle traveling in the wrong direction struck another car head-on.

All three fatalities were occupants of the vehicles involved in the initial collision, Dattilo said. A news release later in the day said that one of the victims was a man and two were women. Their ages and identities have not yet been released.

Following the initial impact, both vehicles blocked the roadway, leading to a third vehicle colliding with one of the obstructing cars. The driver of the third vehicle, a 21-yar-old woman, was not impaired and did not sustain any injuries, Dattilo said.

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(FOX 13 Seattle)

Troopers, along with personnel from the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), responded to the scene. The northbound lanes of I-5 were closed for hours, with traffic being diverted through the Scatter Creek Rest Area.

Northbound I-5 reopened around 10:30 a.m.

What's next:

Authorities are urging drivers traveling northbound to proceed with caution through the rest area.

The investigation into the crash is ongoing, and further details have yet to be released.

The Source: Information in this story comes from Washington State Patrol Trooper John Datillo and the Washington State Department of Transportation.