Community Education Police & Fire

16-year-old dies in collision near Kopachuck

A former Gig Harbor High School student died in a collision around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 10, near Kopachuck Middle School.

The 16-year-old drove off an embankment near a 90-degree turn where 98th Avenue meets 56th Street, according to Pierce County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Carly Cappetto.

“He was on his way home and did not make the corner while traveling at a high rate,” Cappetto wrote in an email.

In a letter to Gig Harbor High School staff, students and families, Principal Bob Marshall described the 16-year-old as a former student there.

The Peninsula School District provided extra counselors and administrative staff for students or staff members on Thursday.

“We extend our deepest sympathy to the student’s family, friends, and teachers,” Marshall wrote in the letter, provided by PSD spokesperson Shana Nash.