Paul W. Meyers Injured in Tumwater Multi-Vehicle Accident
Paul W. Meyers and Judy Meyers injured in five-vehicle pileup on Interstate 5 involves two semi-trucks
Paul W. Meyers, 80, of Chehalis, was injured in a five-vehicle crash on northbound Interstate 5 near Trosper Road in Tumwater on March 19, 2026, the Washington State Patrol said.
The crash happened at milepost 102. Meyers and a passenger, Judy Meyers, 77, also of Chehalis, were taken to Providence St. Peter Hospital, authorities said.
A semi-truck driven by Amritpal Singh, 32, of Puyallup, rear-ended another semi in the left lane, troopers said. That truck, driven by Monte R. Willueit, 64, of Spanaway, then hit the back of a car driven by Meyers.
Meyers' car then struck two other cars in front of it, police said. One car was driven by Tobias S. Casady, 21, of Kelso, and the other by Ruth J. Elder, 58, of Olympia. All five vehicles stopped in the far left lane.
No other injuries were reported, police said. The crash remains under investigation by the Washington State Patrol.
The Washington State Patrol responded to the scene at approximately 1:13 p.m. on March 19, 2026, following the report of the multi-vehicle pileup. Troopers remained on-site for nearly two hours to conduct a preliminary investigation and clear the wreckage from the active travel lanes. According to the state patrol incident report, the roadway was fully blocked for 1 hour and 54 minutes, causing significant congestion for northbound commuters. While Amritpal Singh faces possible charges for his involvement, investigators confirmed that neither drugs nor alcohol played a role in the collision.
National Legal Analyst Candice Bond, Managing Partner at Bond Legal, noted that "Time is of the essence in cases such as this, and a victim must ensure that evidence is reviewed efficiently"
Under Washington's legal framework, the state operates under a pure comparative fault system (RCW 4.22.005), which allows injured parties to recover damages even if they are partially responsible for a collision. This statute ensures that liability is distributed based on each party's degree of negligence, a critical factor in multi-vehicle pileups where chain-reaction dynamics must be professionally analyzed. Many states use a system called 'comparative fault,' which means both drivers can share a percentage of the blame for a crash. If a driver is found to be more than half at fault in some locations, this can change what kind of help is available to them for their recovery. In Washington, the statute of limitations for personal injury claims typically remains open for three years from the date of the incident. Victims may pursue various categories of damages, including medical expenses, lost wages, and non-economic losses such as pain and suffering. Determining the primary cause in rear-end collisions often relies on establishing which driver failed to maintain a safe following distance under prevailing traffic conditions.