Roy man dies in state Route 7 crash Friday morning

A Roy man died in a multi-vehicle car crash on state Route 7 a little after 6 a.m. Friday, May 10.

Robert G. Gorley, 75, Roy, was driving his Ford Expedition in the second of four lanes northbound on state Route 7, approaching 176th Street, when he struck the second vehicle, driven by Michael C. Lovitt, 60, of Roy, who was stopped. Lovitt then hit a stopped Subaru Crosstrek driven by Norman Parsons, 60, of Roy. In turn, the CrossTrek hit a fourth car driven by Christopher Bowen, 41, Tacoma. Then Gorley’s vehicle struck Bowen’s GMC and rolled, striking 71-year-old Barbara Brooks, Spanaway, who was stopped in the second lane in her Mitsubishi Outlander, and Scott Bannister, 61, Rainier, who was driving a semi with freight trailer.

Gorley’s passenger, Shannon F. Gorley, 68, was injured in the crash and transported to St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma. None of the other drivers were injured, although the damage to some of the vehicles was significant. The northbound lanes were blocked for 3 hours, 21 minutes.

Washington State Patrol is investigating.