Car ripped in half in fatal Puyallup crash

At least one woman is dead and a girl and a man were injured after an accident on River Road in Puyallup that involved four cars, left a Mercedes torn in two and also flung another woman into the water.

According to the Washington State Patrol, the driver of a black Mercedes was northbound on Highway 167 near Gay Road around 5 a.m. today when the driver lost control of the vehicle and crossed into the southbound lanes.

The Mercedes collided with two oncoming vehicles and was torn in two, police said. Half of the car flew into the nearby Puyallup River.

A 19-year-old woman, believed to have been the driver of the Mercedes, was found dead outside of the car near a guardrail, according to State Patrol Sgt. Patrick Pronovost.

A passenger in the Mercedes, a girl who is believed to be 14 years old, was thrown onto the pavement, police said. She appears to have suffered several broken bones but does not have apparent life-threatening injuries.

A third woman, who police say may also have been in the Mercedes, was found in the water downriver in Fife.

The driver of one of the oncoming vehicles, a man, is in critical but stable condition, according to the State Patrol.

According to Pronovost, the 14-year-old girl told police that she had been at a party the night before, had fallen asleep and woke up on the pavement.

Christine Clarridge: 206-464-8983 or cclarridge@seattletimes.com