A multi-vehicle collision this Friday morning resulted in a complete shutdown of all southbound lanes on Interstate 5 in downtown Seattle, causing major delays for commuters. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) reported the crash shortly before 9 a.m., north of Mercer St. By 10:17 a.m., the accident had been cleared and normal traffic resumed, as confirmed by KOMO News. Trooper Rick Johnson highlighted the extent of the turmoil with crash debris strewn across the highway, resulting in a three-mile traffic backup at one point during the incident.
The nature of the collision, involving four vehicles including a King County Metro Vanpool car, led to injuries among several people. However, King County Metro stated, as KING 5 reports, that their van was not responsible for causing the crash. Washington State Patrol is still sorting through the aftermath of the collision to ascertain details about which occupants were injured.
Emergency services, including firefighters, medics, and police, rushed to the scene in response to the accident, as detailed by FOX 13 Seattle.
