2 dead after Highway 18 police chase, crash in Federal Way

Two people are dead in a crash in Federal Way after a police chase started when a car going over 130 mph passed a Washington State Patrol trooper early Thursday, police say.

All westbound lanes of Highway 18 were blocked just east of Interstate 5, the Washington State Department of Transportation said on X shortly after 1:30 a.m.

The highway has reopened, WSDOT said on X shortly after 1:20 p.m.

The trooper was passed by the vehicle just after midnight on southbound Highway 167, said Trooper Rick Johnson.

Initiating pursuit, the trooper raced after the vehicle and caught up to it, Johnson said. The vehicle then went onto westbound Highway 18.

Just before the split to Interstate 5, the vehicle crashed, ejecting two people, Johnson said. Two people inside the vehicle were killed and two people ejected have been taken to Harborview Medical Center, their conditions unknown.

It's not known exactly how the vehicle crashed, though it was going at a high speed and was drifting in the lanes, Johnson said. It is unknown who was driving and whether impairment was involved.

Federal Way police are investigating the incident.

Editor's note: Due to the sensitivity of the topics covered in this article, the comment thread has been removed.

Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.

This story was originally published June 4, 2026 at 9:32 AM.