A 41-year-old man who drove the wrong way on northbound Interstate 5 and crashed into another driver and died in Thurston County has been identified, the county coroner said Friday.
Identifying him was delayed because the coroner’s office needed to consult dental records after the man burned in the collision.
About 5:30 a.m. March 16, Timothy J. Small, of Puyallup, was headed south in the northbound lanes of I-5 near the Scatter Creek rest area.
Meanwhile, two women were driving north when Small crashed into them. Both died at the scene. They were later identified as Valerie Thompson, 38, of Tumwater and Thunder OBrien, 28, of Tumwater. OBrien also was known as Amelia Garner.
A third driver, also headed north, also crashed into the car occupied by the two women. The driver of the third vehicle, a 21-year-old University Place woman, was not injured or impaired, Trooper John Dattilo previously told The Olympian.
She was allowed to leave the scene after providing information and a statement to the state patrol, he said.
