A second vehicle believed to be involved in the death of Washington State Patrol Trooper Tara Marysa Guting has been located and impounded, according to Tacoma police.
Guting, 29, was killed Friday night while investigating a collision on Highway 509 in Tacoma.
Tacoma police said the original driver who struck the 29-year-old trooper was cooperative with detectives and has not been taken into custody or charged at this point.
Authorities determined that Guting was struck by a second vehicle while lying incapacitated on the roadway after being hit by the initial car.
That second vehicle, now impounded, is believed to be a Chevrolet Avalanche or a Cadillac Escalade EXT, according to photos released by investigators.
The driver of that second vehicle has not been located.
Detectives are actively working the case and continue to seek information from anyone who may have been in the area at the time of the incident, Tacoma police said.
The Crime Stoppers tip line is open and ready to receive and review any information related to this investigation.
Tips can be directed to the Tacoma Police Department through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
The impounding of the second vehicle represents a significant development in the investigation, though finding the truck doesn’t immediately identify the driver. Vehicles can be registered to one person but driven by another, and establishing who was behind the wheel at the time of the incident requires additional investigation.
The cooperative nature of the first driver and the lack of charges against that person suggests investigators believe the initial collision was an accident rather than a result of criminal negligence or impairment. However, that determination could change as the investigation continues.
The fact that the second vehicle has been impounded but the driver remains at large raises questions about how authorities located the truck. Tips from the public, license plate readers, or surveillance footage could all have led to identifying and locating the vehicle.
The Chevrolet Avalanche and Cadillac Escalade EXT are both distinctive pickup trucks with similar body styles. The Avalanche production ended in 2013, and the Escalade EXT ended in 2013 as well, meaning any such vehicle would be at least 12 years old.
The impounded vehicle will likely undergo forensic examination looking for evidence of the collision, including damage patterns, paint transfer, or other physical evidence that could confirm it struck Guting.
The Crime Stoppers tip line provides anonymity for people who may have information but are hesitant to come forward. The 1-800-222-TIPS number routes to a system that doesn’t capture caller ID or trace calls.
The continued emphasis on seeking witnesses suggests investigators believe additional people may have seen the incident or have dashcam footage from the area that night. Highway 509 in that area carries moderate traffic even late at night.
The driver of the second vehicle fleeing the scene transformed what might have been a tragic accident into a potential hit-and-run homicide. Had the driver stopped and called for help, they might have faced no criminal charges. By fleeing, they created legal jeopardy regardless of whether the initial impact was their fault.
