Drowsy driving accident kills two on I-90 near North Bend

A Tacoma couple died Tuesday morning, June 29, after their car hit a concrete embankment at Interstate 90's exit 34 near North Bend.

June 29, 2010 12:20 pm
Debris from a fatal Tuesday morning accident littered the westbound lanes of Interstate 90 at exit 34 near North Bend. A Tacoma couple died and three children were hospitalized following the accident
Debris from a fatal Tuesday morning accident littered the westbound lanes of Interstate 90 at exit 34 near North Bend. A Tacoma couple died and three children were hospitalized following the accident

A Tacoma couple died Tuesday morning, June 29, after their car hit a concrete embankment at Interstate 90’s exit 34 near North Bend.

The Washington State Patrol believes that the driver, a 30-year-old Tacoma man, fell asleep at the wheel while driving his family home from a camping trip in Eastern Washington. Witnesses saw the car, a westbound white 2005 Dodge Neon, drift slowly to the left before striking the concrete wall just before 7 a.m.

The driver’s wife, a 26-year-old Tacoma woman, also died at the scene.

Three passengers in the car, ages 20, 15 and 4, were sent to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

The 4-year-old child was the child of the couple, and suffered minor injuries. The two other passengers were family or friends of the couple. One of the older passengers was seriously injured.

During the investigation, westbound lanes of the highway were closed, and State Troopers shrouded the car in a blue tarp. Traffic exited and re-entered the highway through the Exit 34 ramps.

“This is a sad story,” said State Patrol Spokeswoman Christina Martin. “We’ve all been tired behind the wheel. How do you know when you’re going to cross that line.”