PIERCE COUNTY - State troopers said speed is to blame for the multi-car crash that killed a man on Interstate 5 on Sunday morning.

Trooper B.L. Kessler said a red Honda Acura travelling south on I-5 crashed through the cable barrier and lunged into the northbound lanes around 8:30. Witnesses told troopers the car was travelling at a speed between 85 and 100 miles per hour.

The Acura crashed into an oncoming Nissan. The Nissan then pinballed toward a black SUV, sending it into another car. Troopers said the multi-car crash happened in mere seconds.

The driver of the Acura was pronounced dead at the scene. His name is not known.

One other driver was taken to the hospital for neck pains.

State transportation officials are looking into why the cable barrier failed.

"That will be under intense scrutiny in the next few days as we review that," said interim secretary Paula Hammond.

Hammond said Sunday's crash was the first fatal crossover crash since cable barriers were installed on the interstate near Fife in 2001.

"We're going to look at how the posts came out and exactly how the car got through the barrier, if it was the angle or the speed," Hammond said. "Nothing can be prevented entirely when there's driver error involved."

It is not yet known whether drugs or alcohol played a role in the crash.

The accident initially shut down all four northbound lanes, but two were reopened around 12:45. The remaining two lanes were also reopened around 1:15.