Six weeks on from the night a Washington State Patrol trooper was struck and killed while investigating a crash on southbound State Route 509 near the Port of Tacoma, the questions still outweigh the answers.
Trooper Tara‑Marysa Guting, 29, was hit while doing what troopers do countless times a day: standing outside her patrol car on the shoulder, checking out a collision. She never made it home. Her family, fellow troopers, and investigators are still asking for the public's help as detectives sift through video clips and witness tips in search of the vehicle that left the scene.
As reported by The News Tribune, Tacoma investigators impounded a vehicle in late December that might match the description of the dark pickup that took off after the crash, but no arrests have followed. Tacoma Police Department spokesperson Shelbie Boyd told the paper that detectives are still working leads and that the case remains very much open.
What investigators are looking for
Detectives are particularly interested in dash‑camera or surveillance footage from southbound SR‑509 near Port of Tacoma Road between about 7:20 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 19, the window when the fatal collision occurred.
Police have described a vehicle of interest as a dark four‑door pickup, possibly a Chevrolet Avalanche or a Cadillac Escalade EXT‑style truck. Anyone who was in the area and has video, or who might recognize that description, is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
In a news release, the Tacoma Police Department listed the tip line as 1‑800‑222‑TIPS and said investigators are still actively reviewing every lead that comes in.
How the crash unfolded
According to state officials, Guting was outside her patrol car, investigating a two‑vehicle collision on the on‑ramp to southbound SR‑509 from Port of Tacoma Road shortly before 7:30 p.m. when she was struck by a vehicle.
The impact threw her into the right travel lane. A short time later, a second vehicle hit her and continued southbound without stopping. People at the scene tried to save her, but she later died from her injuries.
The Washington State Patrol Memorial Foundation identified the fallen trooper as Tara‑Marysa Guting and noted that she had joined the patrol in 2024.
The broader toll and response
Guting's death has echoed far beyond that stretch of highway. It comes amid a series of roadside incidents involving troopers across Washington and adds to a grim tally for the agency.
The Washington State Patrol says Guting is the 34th trooper lost in its 105‑year history. Officials, including the governor, marked her death with memorial observances and by lowering flags in her honor, a formal gesture that underscored the shock inside law enforcement circles and across the region.
The ongoing search for the suspect pickup and the push for more video evidence were detailed by The Spokesman-Review, which noted the persistence of Tacoma detectives as they work to piece together what happened and who was behind the wheel.
How to help and what to watch next
Tacoma police emphasize that even short or seemingly uneventful clips of southbound SR‑509 near Port of Tacoma Road between 7:20 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 19 could prove crucial. A single frame showing a dark pickup could be what finally breaks the case open.
The Tacoma Police Department has reiterated that tips can be submitted through Crime Stoppers at 1‑800‑222‑TIPS and says it will share updates when there are significant developments.
For now, Trooper Guting's colleagues keep patrolling the same roads where she was killed, and Tacoma investigators keep looking for the driver who did not stop.
