Early Monday morning around 3:14 a.m., a wrong-way crash on northbound Interstate 5 near the Gee Creek rest area in Ridgefield left two people dead and shut down all northbound lanes while troopers investigated. The collision choked off a major regional artery and brought in Washington State Patrol and WSDOT crews for a lengthy response.
According to KATU, the Washington State Patrol confirmed there was one person in each vehicle and that both drivers were killed. WSP Public Information Officer Dakota Russell told the station that investigators remained on scene with no estimated time to reopen northbound I-5.
Traffic backups stretched for miles
WSDOT traffic cameras showed miles of backed-up vehicles on northbound I-5 as crews worked to clear the wreckage and document the scene. Southbound lanes stayed open, but congestion rippled through the morning commute as detours and delays piled up. “Southbound Interstate 5 traffic was open, but drivers should avoid northbound I-5,” KATU photojournalist Mike Warner said, per KATU. For live cameras and current alerts, drivers can monitor WSDOT.
Wrong-way crashes are unusually deadly
Wrong-way crashes in Washington are relatively rare, yet they are disproportionately deadly. A report to the legislature from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission found they account for about eight percent of traffic deaths statewide and that nearly 60 percent of wrong-way drivers were impaired. The review, along with other national studies, notes that these collisions most often occur at night on high-speed highways, a combination that sharply raises the odds of fatal head-on impacts. The WTSC report also outlines prevention technologies and countermeasures under consideration in Washington.
What to expect next
State troopers said the investigation is ongoing, with crash-reconstruction teams expected to fully document the scene before all lanes reopen. The Washington State Patrol has not released the identities of those killed or determined an official cause of the collision. Drivers are urged to check WSDOT’s real-time alerts and camera map for updates on reopening and suggested alternate routes as recovery and investigation work continues. WSDOT maintains the live traffic pages used by agencies during major incidents.
Anyone who witnessed the crash, has dash-cam footage, or drove through the area around the time of the collision is asked to contact the Washington State Patrol, which is leading the investigation. Troopers are urging witnesses to preserve any video or photos and share them with investigators as they work to piece together what happened in the moments before the deadly wrong-way impact.
