A late-night drive on Tukwila International Boulevard ended in tragedy Saturday when a car left the roadway and plunged into the Duwamish River, killing the driver. Fire crews arrived to find the vehicle submerged, pulled a single occupant from the water, and pronounced that person dead at the scene. Authorities have not yet said what caused the car to enter the river.
Rescue response and timeline
Puget Sound Fire and several partner agencies rushed to the scene after a 911 call late Saturday. The fire authority posted about the incident on X at about 10:30 p.m., noting that a vehicle had gone into the river. When crews arrived, the car was already underwater. Firefighters removed one person from the vehicle, who was pronounced dead at the scene, and it appears that person was the only occupant, as reported by KIRO 7.
Where it happened
Tukwila International Boulevard crosses the Duwamish through an industrial stretch marked by steep banks and, in some spots, limited roadside barriers. That combination has contributed to prior waterway recoveries along the river. In recent years, multi agency searches and submerged vehicle recoveries have been reported on the Duwamish, including a 2020 search for a potentially missing driver, according to FOX 13, and earlier fatal recoveries noted by the Seattle P-I.
Investigation underway
Tukwila police and Puget Sound Fire investigators remained on scene to document the crash and begin sorting out what happened. Officials had not released the driver’s identity or any information about the circumstances leading up to the car entering the river, according to KIRO 7.
Anyone who may have seen the vehicle before it left the roadway or has other information is asked to contact the Tukwila Police Department’s non-emergency line at (206) 241-2121 or use the city’s online reporting system, per the Tukwila Police Department.
Authorities say the investigation is ongoing and no charges have been announced. This story will be updated as local agencies release additional details.
