A deadly collision on the ramp from 31st Avenue and State Route 161 to westbound State Route 512 in Puyallup on Tuesday afternoon left one person dead and shut down a key interchange, clogging the evening commute for miles. First responders closed the on-ramp and two westbound lanes while investigators worked the scene.
The Washington State Department of Transportation posted on X that the ramp was fully blocked and two lanes of SR 512 were closed. “Traffic on the mainline is getting by in the left lane, but it's slow going,” WSDOT said, according to The News Tribune. State Trooper Kameron Watts said the collision remains under investigation and officials did not immediately release further details in the initial update.
Where backups happened
The crash hit at the 31st Avenue/SR 161 ramp, a busy merge point where westbound traffic feeds into the SR 512 mainline, and traffic quickly spilled back onto nearby streets. Earlier this month, another deadly collision closed eastbound SR 512, showing how a single wreck can ripple through the whole corridor.
Investigation and next steps
Troopers and crash investigators were documenting the scene Tuesday evening, and authorities said they would release additional information after next-of-kin notifications and preliminary findings, according to The News Tribune. Investigators had not yet announced any contributing factors or indicated whether charges might follow.
Safety and commuter context
WSDOT's SR 512 corridor study flags recurring congestion and safety problems along this stretch and outlines a mix of near- and long-term fixes intended to cut down on collisions and the spillover backups they trigger; see WSDOT's SR 512 corridor study for details. For live updates and alternate-route information during incidents, check the WSDOT Travel Center Map.
Authorities continue to investigate the crash, and commuters should expect extended delays around the interchange while crews clear the scene and collect evidence.
