Impaired, Wrong-Way Driver With 3-Year-Old In Car Stopped on I-5

DUPONT, WA —The Washington State Patrol (WSP) on Monday said "thank you" to several members of the public who called 9-1-1 early Sunday morning to report a wrong-way driver on Interstate 5 near DuPont.

The calls helped WSP troopers find and stop the driver, preventing a potentially serious collision, according to the WSP.

Police said the driver was a 28-year-old woman from Tacoma who had a 3-year-old child in the backseat. The driver was taken into custody for suspicion of driving under the influence and reckless endangerment, police said.

"The WSP wishes to extend gratitude to each of the callers who reported the vehicle's location to 9-1-1, affording the responding WSP troopers the information necessary to plan and execute the successful stop of the vehicle," the WSP said in a statement.

The WSP said that witnesses first reported the gold Honda Civic traveling northbound in the southbound lanes of I-5 near Marvin Way in Thurston County.

More than 11 calls eventually were made to report the driver and provide information about the vehicle, which police were able to stop just north of Exit 119 at Pendleton Avenue.

"These crucial and detailed updates (from callers), such as multiple descriptions of the vehicle being in the left lane, provided responding troopers the necessary information to successfully locate the wrong-way Honda, slow down southbound traffic and ultimately stop the Honda," the WSP said.

According to the WSP, the driver ultimately stopped inside the shoulder just inches from a WSP trooper's push bars as troopers were moving into position to block the vehicle's path.

The WSP said the 3-year-old passenger was unharmed, but the agency said it contacted Child Protective Services (CSP), which is required in a case involving an impaired driver with any passenger under the age of 16.

The WSP also reminded the public that anyone calling 9-1-1 should be prepared to provide basic and vital pieces of information, like:

• Accurate location
• The incident being reported
• Detailed descriptions such as vehicle type, license plate, lane of travel, if the incident is blocking traffic and any apparent injuries.