An Olympia driver struck and killed a pedestrian on Interstate 5 near Woodland in Cowlitz County on Tuesday, according to a Washington State Patrol press memo.
The collision occurred before 8:45 p.m. as a mid-sized sports utility vehicle traveled southbound on the I-5 near Dike Access Road, Trooper Will Finn said. The driver, a 69-year-old Olympia resident, struck the pedestrian in the center lane and immediately stopped, he said.
First responders found the female pedestrian dead at the scene, per the memo. Investigators have yet to identify the woman or next of kin, Finn said.
“It’s unknown at this time why the female was in the lane of travel and the identity of the female,” Finn said. “We’re currently working with the Cowlitz County Coroner’s Office to hopefully be able to identify and get some more details on why this individual was standing on the freeway.”
Finn said the driver was not intoxicated with drugs or alcohol and he cooperated fully with investigators. Although he was not injured, the memo says he was transported to PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center in Longview.
Due to the collision, first responders and investigators closed the roadway for about one hour and traffic remained impacted for about three hours, Finn said. A tow truck had to remove the driver’s vehicle from the road, per the memo.
Finn said it may take a couple of days for the pedestrian to be identified.
