DUPONT, WASHINGTON — A 35-year-old Steilacoom woman is facing investigation for DUI, vehicular assault, and first-degree assault after crashing her SUV into a semi-truck on southbound Interstate 5 near DuPont Monday morning, then pulling a knife and threatening the two girls who were in the car with her — stabbing a 9-year-old before two soldiers from Joint Base Lewis-McChord tackled her and wrestled the knife away.
Washington State Patrol said the crash occurred around 9 a.m. The woman was driving an SUV with the two children inside when she struck the left-side barrier, veered to the right shoulder, then swerved back across the freeway and hit a semi-truck in the middle lane. The SUV struck the barrier again and rolled over, coming to rest near Exit 118. The semi-truck driver was not injured, though the truck sustained reportable damage.
After the rollover, the woman allegedly produced a knife and threatened both girls. The 9-year-old suffered multiple broken bones and a stab wound. The 15-year-old was hospitalized without serious injuries.
Two soldiers who had stopped to help after witnessing the crash intervened. Witness Nathan Wilkinson, who was driving to work and came upon the scene, watched it unfold in real time.
“There’s people standing around, then all of a sudden there was a flash, and then the two soldiers jumped on a person,” Wilkinson told KING 5. “I heard a scream at that time. I saw one of the soldiers had a knife in his hand that he had dislodged from the person they tackled.”
Wilkinson called 911 as bystanders helped subdue the woman. Photos from the scene appeared to show one soldier holding the woman down. He said he hoped the two service members would be recognized. “They didn’t run away, they didn’t pass, drive on by. They stopped and helped.”
The woman was initially taken to a hospital for evaluation. She has since been booked into the Pierce County Jail and is expected to face two counts of assault, vehicular assault, and two counts of reckless endangerment. Whether the charges had been formally filed was not immediately confirmed. Officers said she was driving erratically before the crash. The cause of the crash and the woman’s relationship with the girls were not specified. The soldiers’ names were not immediately available.
Interviews courtesy of local media.
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