PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. — Two people are dead, including a 6-year-old child, after a collision on State Route 702 near Yelm Saturday afternoon.
Washington State Patrol Trooper Ryan Burke tweeted just before 1:30 p.m. that the collision happened on SR-702 and 8th Avenue East.
According to Burke, a Mazda sedan was stopped at the intersection and then pulled out into the path of a pick-up truck that was traveling westbound on SR-702 at the 55 mph speed limit. The sedan was struck broadside as the pick-up had no time to react, Burke said.
It's unknown why the Mazda pulled out in front of the truck, but Burke said the passenger side window of the vehicle was missing and in its place was several strips of clear tape. Burke said it's possible the driver couldn't see through the makeshift window coupled with the bad weather Saturday.
The two people in the Mazda, a 30-year-old woman and a 6-year-old girl, were airlifted to the hospital, but did not survive. The child was in a booster seat in the front passenger seat at the time of the crash, Burke said.
The driver of the pick-up and a passenger were not taken to the hospital.
The roadway was closed for several hours for the investigation but has since reopened.