Three people died in the early morning hours of July 9 when their vehicle collided into another on Interstate 5 near Kitts Corner.

The three deceased included two passengers, a 27-year-old Federal Way resident and a 25-year-old Seattle resident, whose names have been withheld by the Washington State Patrol (WSP) until their families can be notified.

Their driver, Jorge Salas Lopez, a 25-year-old Seattle resident, was operating a silver Acura Integra on northbound I-5 at a high rate of speed approaching the South 336th Street overpass just prior to the crash, WSP stated.

The Acura was approaching a Chevy truck, which attempted to swerve onto the right shoulder to avoid a collision. The Acura struck the truck, causing both vehicles to come to rest on the right shoulder of the freeway.

Salas Lopez and the two passengers of the Acura, all three of whom were not wearing seatbelts, were declared deceased on the scene by the WSP. Their vehicle was totaled in the crash.

The driver of the truck, a 31-year-old Auburn resident who wore a seatbelt, was uninjured, according to the state patrol. Their vehicle suffered reportable damage.

The WSP said alcohol or other drugs may have been a factor in the crash. The official cause of the crash is still under investigation.

The collision caused an approximately three-hour blockage of the roadway, the WSP said.