Three injured, one charged in two-vehicle crash near Rainier

Three people were injured and one woman was charged with vehicular assault in a two-vehicle crash after 4 p.m. on Thursday, June 6, that left state Route 507 off of Koeppen Road blocked for over four hours.

Jennifer G. Lawrence, 38, Tacoma, and passenger Elijah G. King, 28, Spanaway, were traveling southbound on SR 507 north of Koeppen Road when their 2011 white Mazda 3 sedan crossed into the northbound lane and struck another vehicle, a 2020 silver Honda Accord sedan, driven by Juan F. Montano Lopez, 52, Yelm. Both vehicles came to rest on the right shoulder of the northbound lane, according to a press release from Washington State Patrol.

All three persons suffered injuries. Lawrence and King were transported via ambulance to Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia, while Montano Lopez was transported via airlift to St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, per the release.

Lawrence, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was charged with vehicular assault. While the cause of the collision is still under investigation, drugs and/or alcohol are believed to be involved, according to the release.

As of Tuesday, June 11, Lawrence and King were still in the hospital, according to WSP. No update was available for Montano Lopez before press time.