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Tacoma woman, 26, killed in four-vehicle I-5 crash near Kent

Kent man arrested for investigation of vehicular homicide in early Saturday collision

A 26-year-old Tacoma woman was killed in a four-vehicle collision early Saturday morning, Dec. 4 along southbound Interstate 5 near the Kent/Federal Way border that allegedly involved a driver under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Samantha Mararac was a passenger in one of the vehicles and died at the scene, according to the Washington State Patrol.

The crash occurred at about 1:44 a.m. on I-5, just south of State Route 516 near South 272nd Street.

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The State Patrol arrested a 43-year-old Kent man for investigation of vehicular homicide and DUI, according to a press memo.

A vehicle was disabled and blocking lane one of five lanes, according to the State Patrol. Two vehicles stopped in lane one to attempt to get around the vehicle. A fourth vehicle, driven by the Kent man, reportedly rear ended one of the vehicles pushing it into another vehicle, causing one of the vehicles to come to a stop facing the wrong way. The Kent driver then reportedly continued southbound and struck that vehicle before it came to a rest in lane two.

The Kent driver, who was alone in his vehicle, was not injured.

Two others in the vehicle with Mararac were injured. The driver, a 24-year-old Renton woman, and another passenger, a 34-year-old Renton man, were each transported to Valley Medical Center in Renton.

The drivers of the other two vehicles were not injured and had no passengers.

Three vehicles were totaled and one had damage.




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