US soldiers from Joint Base Lewis-McChord tackle, disarm mother who crashed on I-5 car then attacked her 2 children

According to the Washington State Patrol, the incident unfolded around 9 am Monday on southbound I-5 near DuPont, Washington.

Troopers said a 35-year-old Steilacoom woman was driving an SUV with two girls, ages 9 and 15, as passengers when she struck the left-side barrier, veered across the roadway toward the right shoulder, then crossed back and collided with a semi-truck in the middle lane. The SUV continued across the freeway, struck the barrier again, and rolled near Exit 118.

After the crash, authorities said the woman attacked the girls with a knife.

The 9-year-old suffered multiple broken bones in the crash as well as a stab wound. The 15-year-old did not suffer serious injuries. Both girls were hospitalized and reported in stable condition.

Two soldiers from nearby Joint Base Lewis-McChord who witnessed the aftermath stopped to help and managed to disarm and restrain the woman.

Washington State Patrol Sgt. John Dattilo said the soldiers' intervention may have prevented the attack from becoming even more serious. “If that hadn’t happened, we don’t know what the outcome would be, but we can assume the worst,” Dattilo said.

Sgt. Alexis McKay, a combat medic and EMT who witnessed the incident and stopped to help, told KIRO Newsradio that the woman was the girls' mother and said she initially encountered the family outside the overturned SUV while driving to work.

According to McKay, the mother returned to the wreckage, retrieved a knife and then approached the 15-year-old girl. McKay said the woman attempted to stab the teenager in the stomach before one of the soldiers grabbed her arm. McKay pulled the teenager away while the soldiers disarmed the woman and restrained her on the ground. When asked whether the woman attempted to attack any of the people who stopped to help, McKay said, “No, she went straight for her daughter.”

McKay said the teenager had lost her shoes during the rollover, so she gave the girl her own shoes to protect her feet from broken glass and moved her away from the confrontation.

The 35-year-old driver was transported to a hospital for evaluation. According to WSP, she is being investigated for DUI and assault. Initial information from troopers indicated potential charges include vehicular assault and first-degree assault.