At about 8:20 p.m. Nov. 2, Federal Way police officers responded to a fatal car vs. pedestrian incident on Pacific Highway South at Dash Point Road.

The Federal Way Police Department shared in an email that “a 37-year-old transient male crossed Pacific Highway South against a red light and was struck by three vehicles and pronounced deceased at the scene.”

Witness to the scene Crystal told The Mirror that she was at the nearby Shell station and heard a loud sound and saw the aftermath, but not the impact itself.

“I saw a pedestrian that had not only been hit by a car, but ran over and mangled. He was gone,” she said. Crystal is a CNA and said her first instinct was to go over and check for a pulse, but “the closer I looked, there was no pulse, there was no head.”

According to Cmdr. Buchanan with FWPD, “there were no signs of impairment from any of the involved drivers. All drivers remained at the scene.”

Crystal said she had to take the next day off work after witnessing the incident and said she hopes it reminds people to drive slowly and carefully. She said that “it doesn’t matter if your light is green, look in the crosswalk, look in the oncoming traffic.” She added that “we have control over what we do, how we drive, but we don’t have control over how other people drive or if pedestrians cross the street when they shouldn’t. It is our job….to keep ourselves safe and keep other people safe.”

Two years ago, The Mirror reported that Pacific Highway South is the most dangerous five-mile stretch of roadway in Federal Way and one of the most deadly roads in Washington, according to a study by MoneyGeek.

The witness also mentioned a recent change to the speed limit on Pacific Highway South in Kent and a hope that the city of Federal Way might consider similar changes.

As previously reported, a concern for safety along Pacific Highway South led to a recent speed limit drop from 45 mph to 40 mph that started Oct. 14 in nearby Kent.

Changing the speed limit requires collaboration between city governments and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). The Federal Way mayor’s office told The Mirror they are not currently aware of any changes in progress to speed limits on Pacific Highway within Federal Way.

In this particular pedestrian incident, “no traffic crimes were committed. It was dark and raining at the time and the pedestrian was in dark clothing,” according to Cmdr. Buchanan.