A Pierce County Sheriff's sergeant was driving through the intersection of 160th Street East and Meridian in South Hill late Friday night when a silver SUV ran a red light and slammed into the patrol vehicle, disabling it just seconds after the same SUV had allegedly been involved in a drive-by shooting. The SUV kept going, but deputies didn't have to chase it far.
According to the Pierce Co Sheriff
, the collision happened at approximately 10:20 p.m. on October 9, 2026. Minutes later, deputies tracked the silver SUV to a Fred Meyer parking lot near 176th Street East and Meridian, where two 22-year-old men were arrested as they walked out of the store, according to details shared on
The 22-year-old identified as the driver now faces a lengthy list of charges: drive-by shooting, vehicular assault, felony eluding, DUI, hit-and-run involving an attended vehicle, driving with a suspended license, and outstanding warrants, per the same account. The 22-year-old passenger was arrested for drive-by shooting and first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm after deputies say they recovered a loaded handgun from his waistband during the arrest.
Forensic Evidence Ties Suspects to the Shooting
Investigators obtained a search warrant for the silver SUV and recovered spent shell casings and an open container of tequila inside, the report notes. The following day, October 10, 2026, K9 Smokey located a weapon-mounted light in the 16200 block of Meridian. A community member found a matching gun slide and called 911; investigators confirmed the firearm was stolen. Investigators also received information that the driver threw a gun out the window shortly after the collision.
The corridor where the collision unfolded is no quiet side street. Meridian Street East, also known as State Route 161, runs through South Hill as a heavily traveled commercial hub that Pierce County planning maps have designated to absorb high-density growth between Puyallup and Graham, according to Pierce County Government records. South Hill ranks among the most populous unincorporated urban communities in the county, making a red-light collision during an active shooting investigation especially dangerous for drivers and bystanders alike.
What the Charges Could Mean in Court
Under Revised Code of Washington § 9A.36.045, drive-by shooting is classified as a Class B felony carrying up to 10 years in state prison and a maximum fine of $20,000. The same statute provides that a person who unlawfully discharges a firearm from a moving motor vehicle may be inferred to have engaged in reckless conduct, unless rebutted by evidence satisfactory to the trier of fact, which allows prosecutors to pursue the charge without proving intent to hit a specific target.
Washington law under RCW § 46.61.502 defines DUI as operating a vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent or higher within two hours of driving.
Part of a Broader Pattern in Pierce County
Hoodline reported in September that a Parkland man was sentenced to 14.6 years for a drive-by shooting at deputies outside a precinct building.
Incidents like Friday's crash in South Hill underscore how quickly gun violence, impaired driving, and traffic danger can collide on a single busy corridor.
