Woman allegedly stabs girl after SUV hits semi as soldiers step in to stop horrific roadside attack
A woman allegedly stabbed a young girl after sending her SUV careening into a semi-truck and rolling over on a Washington state freeway, prompting two soldiers to tackle her and disarm her.
The 35-year-old woman from Steilacoom allegedly threatened two girls with a knife following Monday morning’s crash on southbound Interstate 5 near DuPont, FOX 13 Seattle reported, citing Washington State Patrol.
A 9-year-old girl suffered multiple broken bones and a stab wound, while a 15-year-old girl was hospitalized without serious injuries, according to the outlet.
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Witness Nathan Wilkinson told KING 5 he was driving to work when he came upon the wreck and saw two men in military uniforms from Joint Base Lewis-McChord intervene.
"There's people standing around, then all of a sudden there was a flash, and then the two soldiers jumped on a person. … I heard a scream at that time," Wilkinson told the outlet. "I saw one of the soldiers had a knife in his hand that he had dislodged from the person they tackled."
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Wilkinson called 911 as bystanders subdued the woman, KING 5 reported. FOX 13 reported that two soldiers stopped to help and that photos from the scene appeared to show one holding someone down.
Troopers investigating the crash said the SUV struck the left-side barrier, veered toward the right shoulder and then swerved back across the freeway, hitting a semi-truck in the middle lane, according to FOX 13.
The SUV struck the barrier again and rolled over. The semi-truck driver was not injured, the outlet reported.
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Officers told KING 5 that the woman was allegedly driving erratically before the crash.
The woman was initially taken to a hospital for evaluation. FOX 13 reported Monday that authorities were investigating her for DUI, vehicular assault and first-degree assault.
In a Tuesday morning update, KING 5 reported that she had since been booked into the Pierce County Jail and was expected to face two counts of assault, vehicular assault and two counts of reckless endangerment. Whether those charges had been formally filed was not immediately clear.
The cause of the crash remained under investigation, and the woman’s relationship with the girls was not specified in the reports.
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The service members’ names were not immediately available.
Wilkinson said that he hoped they would be recognized for stepping in.
"They didn't run away, they didn't pass, drive on by. They stopped and helped," he told KING 5.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Washington State Patrol and Joint Base Lewis-McChord for comment.