A woman allegedly stabbed a young girl after crashing her SUV into a semi-truck and rolling over on a Washington freeway, authorities said. Two soldiers reportedly intervened, tackling the woman and taking away her knife.
The 35-year-old Steilacoom woman allegedly threatened two girls with a knife after the Monday morning collision on southbound Interstate 5 near DuPont, FOX 13 Seattle reported, citing the Washington State Patrol.
A 9-year-old girl sustained multiple broken bones and a stab wound. A 15-year-old girl was also taken to a hospital, though her injuries were not considered serious, according to the outlet.
Bystanders assist at the scene of a rollover crash on Interstate 5 near DuPont, Wash., Monday. Two soldiers reportedly restrained a woman accused of stabbing a 9-year-old girl after the crash. (Nathan Wilkinson)
Witness Nathan Wilkinson told KING 5 that he was driving to work when he encountered the wreck and saw two men wearing military uniforms—reportedly from Joint Base Lewis-McChord—step in.
“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.”
People in military uniforms stand and crouch beside an overturned SUV on I-5 near DuPont, Washington, Oct. 5, 2026. A witness said two soldiers tackled and disarmed the driver following the crash. (Nathan Wilkinson)
Wilkinson said he called 911 while bystanders restrained the woman, KING 5 reported. FOX 13 said two soldiers had stopped to help, and photographs from the scene appeared to show one of them holding a person down.
Investigators said the SUV first hit the left-side barrier, moved toward the right shoulder and then swerved back across the freeway before striking a semi-truck in the middle lane, according to FOX 13.
The SUV then hit the barrier again and overturned. The driver of the semi-truck was not hurt, the outlet reported.
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Washington State Patrol says the woman allegedly threatened two girls with a knife following Monday morning’s crash near DuPont, Wash. (Washington State Patrol)
Officers told KING 5 that the woman had allegedly been driving erratically before the crash.
The woman was initially transported to a hospital for evaluation. FOX 13 reported Monday that authorities were investigating possible charges involving DUI, vehicular assault and first-degree assault.
In an update Tuesday morning, KING 5 reported that the woman had been booked into the Pierce County Jail. She was expected to face two counts of assault, vehicular assault and two counts of reckless endangerment, although it was not immediately clear whether prosecutors had formally filed those charges.
The cause of the crash remained under investigation. Authorities had not specified the woman’s relationship to the two girls.
An entrance plaque at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Pierce County, Wash. Two service members reportedly intervened after a woman allegedly stabbed a child following a rollover crash on a nearby freeway Monday. (Facebook/Joint Base Lewis-McChord)
The names of the two service members were not immediately released.
Wilkinson said he hoped the soldiers would be recognized for intervening.
“They didn’t run away, they didn’t pass, drive on by. They stopped and helped,” he told KING 5.
News Media contacted the Washington State Patrol and Joint Base Lewis-McChord seeking comment.