Tacoma, Washington – A Washington State Patrol trooper was killed Friday evening after being struck by a vehicle while handling a collision on State Route 509 in Tacoma.
Trooper Tara Marysa Guting, 29, was standing outside her patrol car investigating a two-vehicle crash when she was hit just before 7:30 p.m. on southbound SR 509 near milepost 2, south of the Port of Tacoma, the Washington State Patrol said. People already at the scene tried to help, but Guting later died from her injuries.
Tacoma police are leading the investigation. As of Saturday morning, there had been no arrest, though Tacoma police said the case remains active and an arrest could come later as detectives complete their work.
In a statement, Washington State Patrol Chief John R. Batiste offered condolences to Guting’s husband, family, friends, academy classmates, and colleagues in District 1, which covers the Tacoma area. The agency said her death marks the 34th line-of-duty death in the patrol’s 105-year history.
The patrol said Guting joined the agency as a trooper cadet in January 2024 and graduated with the 119th Trooper Basic Training Class. She was commissioned on October 30th and assigned to District 1.
According to WSP, Guting was originally from Honolulu, Hawaii, and served in the Army National Guard before beginning her career in Washington.
