Washington State Patrol troopers arrested a 32-year-old Federal Way man for investigation of vehicular homicide, vehicular assault and DUI after a two-vehicle crash early Sunday morning, Dec. 8, along northbound Interstate 5 in Kent.
The collision injured the Federal Way man, killed a passenger in his vehicle and injured two people in another vehicle. The crash was just north of State Route 516.
The Federal Way man was reportedly driving at about 5 a.m. northbound in the HOV bypass lane when he left the roadway to the left side and struck a concrete Jersey barrier, according to the State Patrol. The vehicle then crossed to the right side and struck the right side concrete barrier before it rolled on its top facing the wrong way.
A second vehicle, driven by a 36-year-old Spanaway man, then collided with the first vehicle. The first vehicle came to rest on the right shoulder of the HOV lane. The second vehicle came to rest partially blocking the HOV lane. The roadway remained blocked for almost five hours.
Birsan Cruz Ramirez, 33, a passenger in the Federal Way man’s vehicle, died at the scene. Ramirez died of multiple blunt force injuries, according to the King County Medical Examiner’s Office Dec. 10 media report.
Medics transported the Federal Way man and the Spanaway man to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, according to the State Patrol. Medics transported a 25-year-old Kent woman, a passenger in the Spanaway man’s vehicle, to Valley Medical Center in Renton.
Drugs or alcohol were involved in the collision, according to the State Patrol.