Two major crashes on SR 16; multiple injuries reported



GIG HARBOR, Wash. –At least two major crashes on State Route 16 sent multiple patients to the hospital and snarled traffic through Gig Harbor and Port Orchard Tuesday afternoon.

Gig Harbor Fire tweeted that that two people were injured in a crash near the Wollechet Drive exit of Gig Harbor.  At least one of those patients was in critical condition.

The crash, which included a semi and several other vehicles, closed the eastbound lanes.

Further west on SR 16, another crash involving six vehicles in the westbound lanes near the Tremont exit in Port Orchard blocked several lanes.

The Washington State Patrol said five vehicles traveling westbound on SR 16 were slowed due to a collision ahead of them. At that point, a driver of a dump truck who failed to notice the situation plowed into one of the cars, causing a chain-reaction collision.

Three people were injured and taken to the hospital. None of the injuries were believed to be serious.

The driver of the dump truck was cited for driving too fast for conditions, the State Patrol said.

Heavy rain had been falling across the region for much of the afternoon.