Troopers in Pierce County are investigating a fatal pedestrian-versus-vehicle collision that shut down all southbound lanes of Interstate 705 near South 11th Street on Thursday night, creating significant traffic disruptions in downtown Tacoma as authorities work to reconstruct the circumstances that led to a pedestrian being struck by multiple vehicles on the highway.
The crash was first reported around 9:24 p.m., according to the Washington State Department of Transportation. All southbound lanes at South 11th Street remained closed as of late Thursday, with authorities providing no estimated time for reopening as investigators documented the scene and collected evidence from what appears to be a complex incident involving multiple vehicles.
Several witnesses reported seeing the pedestrian walking on the shoulder of the roadway before the collision, according to Washington State Patrol. At some point, the pedestrian moved from the shoulder into the travel lanes and was struck by multiple vehicles, WSP confirmed.
WSP directed drivers heading southbound on I-705 to use the 21st Street and Pacific Avenue on-ramp as a detour to bypass the closure.
In updated alerts, the agency reported that the southbound on-ramps from South 9th Street/A Street and Schuster Parkway are also closed until further notice, expanding the closure footprint as investigators work to preserve the integrity of the crash scene and prevent additional vehicles from entering the affected area.
No additional details about the pedestrian’s identity or the drivers involved have been released. The Washington State Patrol continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The fatal collision on Interstate 705 highlights the extreme dangers pedestrians face when walking on limited-access highways, where vehicle speeds typically range from 50 to 70 miles per hour and drivers do not anticipate encountering people on foot in travel lanes. Interstate highways are designed exclusively for motor vehicle traffic, with pedestrian access legally prohibited precisely because the speed differentials and lack of protective infrastructure make pedestrian presence on these roadways extraordinarily hazardous.
The witness accounts indicating the pedestrian was initially walking on the shoulder before entering the travel lanes raises questions about what circumstances led the individual onto the highway in the first place and what factors caused them to move from the relatively safer shoulder area into the direct path of traffic. Pedestrians end up on highways for various reasons including mental health crises, intoxication, disorientation, vehicle breakdowns forcing occupants to walk, or intentional choices to use highways as walking routes despite their dangers.
The fact that multiple vehicles struck the pedestrian suggests the initial impact may have knocked the victim into the path of following traffic, or that visibility conditions, traffic density, or the pedestrian’s position in the roadway prevented subsequent drivers from seeing and avoiding the person. Multi-vehicle pedestrian collisions on highways typically occur when the initial impact occurs in darkness or limited visibility conditions, giving following drivers insufficient time and distance to perceive the hazard and take evasive action.
The extended closure of all southbound lanes reflects the complexity of investigating fatal crashes involving multiple vehicles, where authorities must document numerous points of impact, collect evidence from multiple vehicles, interview several drivers and witnesses, and reconstruct vehicle speeds and movements to determine fault and understand the sequence of events. Unlike simple two-vehicle collisions where evidence is relatively contained, multi-vehicle pedestrian crashes create extensive debris fields and require investigators to piece together which vehicle struck the pedestrian first, whether subsequent impacts occurred while the victim was still alive, and whether any drivers could have reasonably avoided the collision.
The closure of multiple on-ramps in addition to the mainline southbound lanes demonstrates the extensive area affected by the investigation and the need to prevent vehicles from entering a roadway section where they would immediately encounter the closure, potentially creating secondary crashes or interfering with emergency operations. By closing upstream on-ramps at South 9th Street/A Street and Schuster Parkway, authorities ensure traffic is diverted before reaching the crash scene rather than forcing vehicles to make sudden stops or last-minute lane changes when confronted with the closure.
