Fatal Crash at the 162 Bridge

A 56-year-old man died early Sunday when his car smashed into a bridge west of Orting on Highway 162, closing the roadway for nearly six hours.

Sandy Redding of Orting was heading eastbound when his 1993 Ford Escort hit the side of the bridge, the Washington State Patrol said.

State Patrol arrived at the accident scene at 3:13 a.m. Redding was taken to Tacoma General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

According to the Patrol report, the Ford Escort was traveling eastbound on Highway 162 when the driver struck the bridge. The car came to rest in the middle of the roadway. The accident happened at milepost 6 two miles west of Orting at 3:13 a.m. this morning.

Both directions of the highway finally opened to traffic at about 9:15 a.m. after Department of Transportation bridge inspectors examined the structure and determined it was safe for motorists to travel across.

The collision had caused undetermined damage to the bridge and the roadway was closed until DOT personnel could inspect it.

The State Patrol and other emergency personnel responded to the scene. It is unknown at this time whether alcohol or drugs contributed to the crash.

TNT Photo