Two soldiers from Joint Base Lewis-McChord tackled and disarmed a woman who allegedly stabbed a child after causing a violent rollover crash on Interstate 5.
The incident unfolded Monday morning on southbound I-5 near DuPont, Washington, when a 35-year-old woman from Steilacoom lost control of her SUV and collided with a semi-truck, according to the Washington State Patrol. Troopers said the vehicle struck the left-side barrier, veered toward the right shoulder, then swerved back across the freeway and hit the semi in the middle lane before striking the barrier again and rolling over.
Nathan Wilkinson was driving to work when he encountered the wreck and saw the soldiers intervene. “There’s people standing around, then all of a sudden there was a flash, and then the two soldiers jumped on a person. … I heard a scream at that time,” he told KING 5. “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 of the soldiers holding someone down, according to FOX 13 Seattle.
The woman allegedly threatened two girls with a knife following the crash, state troopers said. A 9-year-old girl suffered multiple broken bones and a stab wound, while a 15-year-old girl was hospitalized without serious injuries. The semi-truck driver was not hurt. Officers told KING 5 that the woman had allegedly been driving erratically before the crash.
The soldiers’ names were not immediately released.
Wilkinson expressed hope that the service members would receive recognition for their actions. “They didn’t run away, they didn’t pass, drive on by. They stopped and helped,” he told KING 5.
The woman was initially taken to a hospital for evaluation. Authorities were investigating her for DUI, vehicular assault and first-degree assault, FOX 13 reported Monday. In a Tuesday morning update, KING 5 reported that she had been booked into the Pierce County Jail and was expected to face two counts of assault, vehicular assault and two counts of reckless endangerment. Whether those charges had been formally filed was not immediately clear.
The cause of the crash remained under investigation, and the woman’s relationship with the girls was not specified in reports.
The incident occurred during the Monday morning commute on one of the region’s busiest corridors, drawing emergency response to the southbound lanes near the Joint Base Lewis-McChord area.