Mirror staff reports:

Washington State Patrol reports that one person died Wednesday when a vehicle lost control on I-5 in Federal Way.

The incident occurred about 12:20 p.m. July 31. A Honda Accord with two occupants was traveling northbound on I-5 to the eastbound State Route 18 ramp. The vehicle lost control and rolled several times, according to the state patrol. Both occupants were ejected, and the vehicle caught fire. Fire and rescue crews located the occupants.

The passenger, identified as Centralia resident Billy Powell Jr., 21, was declared dead. Powell’s body was found 5 to 10 feet from the crash site amid a patch of tall sticker bushes, according to State Trooper Clifford Pratt.

The driver, a 27-year-old female from Shelton, was transported to St. Francis Hospital with injuries. Pratt said the driver was under arrest for DUI; troopers believe illegal drugs were involved.

The driver’s speed coupled with the vehicle’s condition likely played another role in the crash, Pratt said. He noted that road conditions were dry, and that the vehicle lost control on a straight section of road.

“It’s amazing to me that her tires held air. They were as bald as they could possibly get. There was no tread on them whatsoever,” Pratt said.

The incident is under investigation.