Valerie Thompson and Thunder OBrien Identified as Victims in Fatal Wrong-Way Crash on I-5 in Thurston County

On Sunday morning, a devastating wrong-way collision on Interstate 5 in Thurston County, Washington, resulted in the deaths of two Tumwater residents, as confirmed by the Thurston County Coroner’s Office and Washington State Patrol. Valerie Thompson, 38, and Thunder OBrien, 28, also known as Amelia Garner, were traveling northbound near the Scatter Creek rest area around 5:30 a.m. when an unidentified male driver, heading south in the northbound lanes, crashed into their vehicle. Subsequently, a third vehicle, also northbound, collided with the women’s car, and both Thompson and OBrien succumbed to multiple blunt force injuries at the scene, according to Coroner Gary Warnock.

The male driver’s identity remains unknown due to his vehicle igniting after the crash, prompting the coroner’s office to pursue dental records for identification. The driver of the third vehicle, a 21-year-old woman from University Place, escaped injury and was not impaired, as reported by Trooper John Dattilo.