Federal Way man killed driving wrong way on SR 509; others seriously injured

A wrong-way driver on State Route 509 was struck multiple times and died early this morning when he fled on foot after triggering collisions that severely injured others on the freeway.

The collisions occurred at about midnight when a silver Subaru driven southbound by a 31-year-old Federal Way man for some reason turned around and began driving north in the southbound lanes near South 128th Street, according to the Washington State Patrol.

The wrong-way driver was reported to 911 by the driver of a Tri-Med ambulance on his cell phone. After losing sight of the Subaru for a moment, the ambulance driver saw that the Subaru was involved in a multi-vehicle accident.

The Subaru driver, now on foot, was struck while in the southbound lanes and thrown from vehicle to vehicle, finally being vaulted underneath the Tri-Med ambulance as it was attempting to pull over to assist with the collision, according to the State Patrol.

The emergency medical technicians on board the ambulance tried to resuscitate the man but he died at the scene.

According to the State Patrol, the Subaru quickly struck a Ford Explorer head-on after turning northbound. The force of the impact sent the Subaru Legacy spinning into an Acura Integra that had been traveling northbound behind the Explorer.

The driver of the Explorer, a Tukwila woman, 31, was transported to Harborview Medical Center in critical condition and her two passengers, two Seattle women, ages 27 and 33, were taken to Harborview in serious condition.

The Acura driver, 47, of Seattle, and his passenger, a 43-year-old Seattle woman were transported for chest pain to Harborview.

State Patrol detectives were still trying to determine why the Subaru driver fled from the scene. He jumped over the center median divider and ran into the southbound lanes, where he was struck by at least four vehicles and possibly a fifth, according to the State Patrol.

The fifth vehicle, a dark passenger car, reportedly left the scene without stopping.

The Washington State Patrol is looking for witnesses who may have observed or have any information regarding this hit-and-run collision that occurred between the Subaru driver while on foot and the dark colored small passenger car or small SUV. Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Stacy Moate at 425-401-7746