Crime & Safety
Kitsap Shuttle Driver Killed In Fiery Crash On WA 16: WSP
James Kingston, 75, died when the Kitsap Airport shuttle he was driving left the highway, struck a tree, and caught fire Monday morning.
GIG HARBOR, WA — A Port Orchard man was killed Monday when the Kitsap Airport shuttle but he was driving went off the road, struck a tree, and caught fire. An autopsy, scheduled for Tuesday, will likely determine the man's cause of death and may reveal what led to the crash.
James Kingston, 75, was reportedly driving the shuttle north on Highway 16 around 10:30 a.m. Nov. 19 when he left the roadway just before the exit to Southeast Mullenix Road, near milepost 22, went up the embankment, and struck tree. After the crash the shuttle became fully engulfed in fire.
Kingston reportedly was the only person in the shuttle at the time of the crash, and Washington State Patrol officials say he was wearing a seatbelt.
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Numerous other drivers on the highway at the time reportedly witnessed the crash, and one person even pulled over to try to extinguish the fire themself. They were ultimately unsuccessful, according to the Kitsap Sun.
Washington State Trooper Chelsea Hodgson shared several photos from the scene on her Twitter page.
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SR 16 fatality: the left lane is now open. Please be patient as you make your way through the scene. More updates soon. pic.twitter.com/IkTqjITU5j
— Trooper Chelsea Hodgson (@wspd8pio) November 19, 2018
The roadway is fully open. The collision remains under investigation. https://t.co/4xDfyOLvTJ
— Trooper Chelsea Hodgson (@wspd8pio) November 19, 2018
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Images via Washington State Patrol Trooper Chelsea Hodgson
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