Paul W. Meyers and Judy 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, and Judy Meyers, 77, of Chehalis were injured in a five-vehicle crash on northbound Interstate 5 near Trosper Road in Tumwater on Thursday, March 19, 2026, according to the Washington State Patrol. The crash happened at milepost 102. Meyers and Judy Meyers were both transported to Providence St. Peter Hospital for medical treatment, authorities said. The crash involved a semi-truck hitting the back of another commercial vehicle. A semi driven by Amritpal Singh, 32, of Puyallup, rear-ended another semi in the left lane, driven by Monte R. Willueit, 64, of Spanaway. Willueit’s semi then rear-ended the passenger car in front of it, driven by Paul W. Meyers, 80, of Chehalis. That car then rear-ended two other passenger cars in front of it. One of the cars was driven by Tobias S. Casady, 21, of Kelso, and the other was driven by Ruth J. Elder, 58, of Olympia. All five vehicles came to rest 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 "I've seen families blindsided by how quickly a simple commute turns into a heartbeat of loss. It's devastating that left-turn crashes account for over twenty percent of all fatal intersection accidents."
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.