One Person Injured In Monday Crash Near Orting: WSP

ORTING, WA — A car crash on SR 162 closed the roadway in both directions just south of the Foothill Trail Bridge early Monday afternoon. According to Washington State Patrol officials, a vehicle hit a power pole and knocked down power lines, which initiated a power surge in a nearby home, sparking a fire at the home's circuit breaker.

Lisa Marie Steelsmith, 55, was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital following the early afternoon crash, officials said. The extent of her injuries are unknown, though WSP officials said she was wearing a safety belt.

Steelsmith was reportedly traveling west around 2 p.m. Nov. 19 when her Chevy Trailblazer left the roadway and collided with a power pole. The collision caused power lines to fall, ignited the Chevy, and sent a power surge through the nearby home of 48-year-old Orting resident Troy West, a former fire commissioner with Orting Valley Fire & Rescue.

West was uninjured in the incident, officials said. Steelsmith's Chevy was totaled and removed from the area by a tow truck.

The roadway was closed for just more than two hours while police investigated and cleared the wreck. It reopened close to 5 p.m.

Steelsmith was reportedly charged with second-degree negligent driving. Intoxication is not believed to have been a factor, officials said.

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