New Year’s Day rollover on Highway 18: driver, adult passenger ejected; 4 children in car | Update

A Federal Way woman suspected of driving under the influence with four children in the car was involved in a rollover collision on New Year’s Day.

Around 5:26 a.m. Jan. 1, the 39-year-old woman was driving eastbound State Route 18 approaching Tiger Mountain when she lost control and struck a ditch, according to Washington State Patrol (WSP).

The vehicle, a 1999 Ford Expedition, rolled across all lanes of traffic and came to rest on the left shoulder of the road facing the wrong way.

The woman was ejected from the vehicle and landed in the roadway. A 31-year-old male passenger was also ejected and came to rest under the vehicle.

Also in the vehicle were four children. One of the children was in a carseat that was ejected into westbound traffic lanes, WSP reported.

All of the passengers — two adults and four children — were transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. The man was transported in critical condition and the woman had major injuries.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the 31-year-old passenger remained in critical condition while the driver was in satisfactory condition, according to a hospital spokesperson.

Washington State Patrol reports the driver had an obvious odor of intoxicants, but a DRE (drug recognition evaluator) evaluation could not be completed at the time.

The charges in this case are still under investigation.