South 84th Street in Lakewood turned chaotic Friday afternoon when a two-car collision left both vehicles on fire, sent fuel spilling across the roadway and injured six people, including two children.
Medic crews rushed an adult woman to the hospital in critical condition and transported four others with minor injuries, among them two kids. A sixth person was also reported injured but was not taken to the hospital. Flames from the burning cars scorched the exterior of a nearby building before firefighters knocked them down.
Officials, Timeline and Casualties
Pierce County responders were called to the 3200 block of South 84th Street at about 3:55 p.m., and West Pierce crews had both car fires under control by roughly 4:20 p.m., according to The News Tribune. The outlet reports that six people were injured in the crash and five were taken to local hospitals. Officials have not released the names of anyone involved.
Nathan Johnson, a public information officer with West Pierce, told reporters that investigators were still sorting out what led up to the wreck and that the full extent of the injuries was not yet known as the scene was cleared.
West Pierce's Account
West Pierce Fire & Rescue said in an update on X that crews arrived to find two vehicles actively burning and an active fuel spill in the roadway. Firefighters extinguished both car fires and contained the spill.
The agency's post listed the transported patients as one adult female in critical condition, two adult males with minor injuries and two children with minor injuries.
Cleanup and Investigation
The collision sent fuel onto South 84th Street, and firefighters contained the leak before it could spread further. They also reported the incident to the Washington Department of Ecology for cleanup, according to The News Tribune.
Authorities noted damage to the outside of a nearby building from the flames. The crash remains under investigation, and officials have not released additional details about the people involved or exactly how the two cars collided. For now, neighbors are left with a charred reminder of how fast an ordinary Friday afternoon commute can turn into a street-side inferno.
