A late-night drive on Interstate 82 near the Valley Mall exit in Union Gap turned deadly Saturday when a woman was struck and killed by a semi-truck, according to the Washington State Patrol. The crash happened just after 10 p.m., and troopers say the pedestrian could not be saved. The semi driver, a 41-year-old man from Covington, was uninjured. Investigators determined he was not impaired and said no charges would be filed.
What officials say
According to NonStop Local, the Washington State Patrol says the collision happened in the westbound lanes near Exit 36 to Valley Mall Boulevard just after 10 p.m. Trooper Chadwick Williams told the outlet the pedestrian "succumbed to her injuries on scene" and had not yet been identified.
Local reporting and unanswered questions
KIRO 7 also reported the crash and noted investigators had not yet determined whether drugs or alcohol played a role. The station said the woman was hit after stepping into the westbound lane from the merging ramp near Valley Mall Boulevard.
Safety work on the I-82 corridor
The Yakima Valley Conference of Governments' April 2026 draft safety plan maps a regional "High Injury Network" and highlights pedestrian and bicyclist crashes around Union Gap as priority locations for countermeasures. The Washington State Department of Transportation's corridor sketch for I-82 notes heavy traffic through the Selah Gap to Union Gap stretch and lists recent improvements at the Valley Mall interchange. The draft plan and WSDOT materials recommend proven countermeasures, including improved crossings and separated walkways, to reduce pedestrian risk at busy interchanges.
This crash came about two months after another fatal person-in-roadway collision roughly three miles east near the Yakima Avenue exit, NonStop Local reported, underscoring the kinds of incidents the regional safety plan aims to address. Troopers continue to investigate the circumstances around both crashes.
Anyone with video or information is asked to contact the Washington State Patrol media contacts page for the district or a local trooper, according to the agency's public information page. Authorities say the investigation remains active and the pedestrian's identity will be released once next of kin have been notified.
