Tarp Causes Fatal Accident
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Police are looking for the driver of a truck that lost its tarp causing a fatal crash on I-5. A 23-year-old man was killed Monday when a tow truck pulling a bus struck his vehicle.
The incident began when two cars heading southbound on I-5 swerved to miss a large tarp lying in the roadway near South 56th Street about 7:30 p.m., said Trooper J.J. Gundermann. The 23-year-old's car spun out and was struck by a large commercial tow truck that was pulling a Metro bus, Gundermann said.
The driver of the truck that lost its tarp and his employer are potentially liable to the family of the man killed and the injured persons. If the driver does not come forward and is not apprehended by the State Patrol, victims may recover under the "phantom vehicle" provisions of their UIM (under insured motorist) policies of insurance).
The man died at the scene and a 5-year-old boy who was riding in the car was in critical condition Monday night, Gundermann said. A 24-year-old female passenger sustained non-life-threatening injuries, and an infant girl had no visible injuries, Gundermann said.
The tow truck also rammed through the concrete median and struck a northbound car, Gundermann said. The woman driving that car sustained non-life-threatening injuries, he said.
You can read more about the incident in The Tacoma News Tribune: One Dead, At Least Three Injured After Cars Try to Avoid Tarp on Road.