A 38-year-old Ashford man was airlifted to Tacoma General Hospital Wednesday after he was reportedly struck by a vehicle while walking eastbound on State Route 706, according to the Washington State Patrol.
The incident occurred at 2:56 p.m. Wednesday about 5 miles east of Ashford in Pierce County, according to a WSP press release.
The Ashford man, Robert D. Welch, reportedly “fell toward lane one” as he was walking on the right shoulder of the highway and was then struck by a GMC Acadia driven by a 36-year-old motorist from Broken Bow, Oklahoma.
The cause of the incident is still under investigation, according to the release, but the WSP does believe alcohol and/or drugs were involved.
The eastbound lane of SR 706 was partially blocked for approximately one hour and 16 minutes to clear the wreck.
