Travelers on Interstate 5 in Kent experienced significant delays following a major collision involving 45 vehicles. The incident, which took place on Sunday afternoon, led to a shutdown of all southbound lanes for approximately four hours before they were finally reopened. As reported by KING 5, Washington State Patrol confirmed that while traffic backed up for miles, no serious injuries occurred during the pile-up.
The congestion stretched to at least a three-mile length, forcing drivers to seek alternate routes. To manage the aftermath of the crash, road crews were called to the site to handle the clean-up which included spills of oil and gas. Based on the information provided by FOX 13 Seattle, the crews used sand in the efforts to address the slippery hazards that were spreading along five miles by mid-afternoon.
During the incident, drivers exiting Southbound Interstate 5 were diverted to SR 516, as Washington State Department of Transportation first indicated the issue at 1:20 p.m. via social media. Tow trucks were quickly dispatched to the scene to assist with vehicle removal. Once the disabled cars were cleared, a sand truck was brought in to manage a minor oil spill, as described in coverage by KOMO News.
Traoper Rick Johnson of the Washington State Patrol weighed in on the cause of the crash, stating that “hese collisions were caused by drivers going too fast, not the road or weather conditions,” as he communicated to KING 5. The clean-up efforts were extensive, and the highway was restored to its full capacity later in the afternoon.
