The search continues for the driver of a black pickup truck involved in the death of 29-year-old Trooper Tara Marysa Guting, who was killed Friday night while investigating a collision on Highway 509 in Tacoma.
Authorities have determined that Guting was struck by the second vehicle while lying incapacitated on the roadway after being hit by an initial car that left her unable to move.
Tacoma police are actively pursuing leads but have yet to locate the black pickup truck or its driver. The vehicle is believed to be a Chevrolet Avalanche or a Cadillac Escalade EXT, both of which are pickup truck models with distinctive styling.
“We want to know what that person experienced, what they thought, saw, and didn’t see. That’s why it’s important to talk to them,” said Tacoma Police Public Information Officer Shelbie Boyd.
The incident occurred between 7:20 and 7:30 p.m. south of the Port of Tacoma Road exit on Highway 509. Police are urging anyone who was in the vicinity at that time, especially those with dashcam or cell phone footage, to come forward with information.
The tragic event has sparked a growing memorial for Trooper Guting outside the Washington State Patrol’s Tacoma station, where her patrol vehicle sits surrounded by flowers and American flags left by mourners.
Jackie Nunez, whose husband is also a state trooper, expressed the community’s grief over the loss.
“It’s rough, it’s hard. It’s not something I want anybody to go through,” Nunez said.
George Nunez, a three-year state trooper based in neighboring King County, emphasized the need for caution on the roads and the human cost of traffic incidents.
“This is why we want people to slow down. At the end of the day, we are all human beings,” George Nunez said. “We got a family we want to come home to, too, you know? That’s not going to be the case for her, and that hurts.”
The investigation remains ongoing, with detectives withholding certain details that could be important to the case. However, Boyd confirmed that investigators believe the pickup truck struck Trooper Guting seconds after the first vehicle hit her.
Guting’s family has traveled from Hawaii to Washington, and arrangements for her memorial service are underway.
The sequence of events that night began when Guting responded to a collision on Highway 509. While she was handling that initial crash, a vehicle struck her, leaving her lying incapacitated in the roadway. Before other responders could reach her, the black pickup truck ran over her and fled the scene.
The driver of the initial vehicle that struck Guting remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators. That driver has not been arrested, suggesting authorities don’t believe that collision was criminally negligent.
The pickup truck driver who fled faces potential charges of vehicular homicide and hit-and-run resulting in death, both serious felonies carrying lengthy prison sentences.
Boyd’s statement about wanting to know “what that person experienced” suggests investigators are trying to understand whether the pickup driver saw Guting lying on the roadway or whether visibility conditions made it impossible to see her before impact.
The nighttime timing at 7:20 to 7:30 p.m. means it was fully dark in December. Highway 509 in that area has streetlights in some sections but long stretches of relative darkness, particularly near the Port of Tacoma where large industrial facilities create shadows.
A person lying on dark pavement in dark clothing would be extremely difficult to see, especially at highway speeds. The pickup driver might have had only a split second to react, or might not have seen Guting at all until after impact.
The chrome door handles and running boards mentioned in earlier descriptions would be distinctive features visible even at night under streetlights, helping witnesses identify the vehicle.
