A motorcyclist was killed Monday afternoon when their bike collided with a semi-truck on northbound Interstate 5 just north of South Albro Place in Seattle, blocking three main lanes. The crash happened around 1 p.m., triggering what officials warned would be lengthy delays through the corridor with no estimated time for reopening.
Crash Snarls Freight and Commuter Corridor South of Downtown
According to WSDOT Traffic
, the fatality collision closed three lanes of northbound I-5 just north of Albro, and the agency said drivers should expect lengthy delays with no timeline yet for a reopening.
MyNorthwest
reported the collision occurred around 1 p.m. WSDOT warned of lengthy delays on northbound I-5.
The crash occurred just north of Albro Place on I-5 in Seattle.
This is not the first fatal incident along this exact stretch of highway. In August 2024, a female pedestrian entering the highway near milepost 161 was struck by two vehicles, including a suspected semi-truck, in a hit-and-run that prompted Washington State Patrol to seek public information, according to FOX 13 Seattle.
Motorcyclists Face Outsized Risk on Washington Roads
Monday's fatality adds to a sobering statewide pattern. Washington motorcycle fatalities hit a historic high of 142 in 2023 before declining 20% to 113 in 2024 and dropping further to a preliminary 103 in 2025, according to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission. Even with that decline, motorcyclists remain drastically overrepresented in traffic deaths: between 2021 and 2025, motorcycles accounted for just 3% of all motor vehicle crashes statewide but made up 16% of total traffic fatalities, with 584 motorcyclist deaths, the commission reported separately.
Federal safety data cited by state officials shows why those crashes prove so deadly — motorcycle riders are roughly 28 times more likely than passenger car occupants to die per mile traveled, lacking the physical cage, seatbelts, and airbags that protect drivers in standard vehicles. About half of all annual motorcycle fatalities in the state occur during the summer months of June, July, and August, a window the Washington State Patrol targets through its “90 Dangerous Days” safety campaign.
Overall traffic deaths across Washington have been trending downward, with a preliminary total of 659 in 2025, an 18% drop from the 33-year peak of 809 fatalities recorded in 2023. The state’s “Target Zero” plan aims to eliminate all traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2030.
It remains unclear what caused Monday's collision, including whether speed, an improper lane change, or impairment played a role, and whether charges or citations will follow once Washington State Patrol's forensic investigation concludes. Monday's crash follows the fatal crash that killed a teen rider near I-5 this past summer.
