I-5 south vehicle crash that killed pedestrian snarled traffic near Marysville
Mar 3, 2024, 7:17 PM | Updated: Mar 29, 2024, 1:39 pm
After an I-5 south vehicle crash on Sunday, March 3, 2024, a traffic sign the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) camera captured at milepost 199.8 told drivers to "expect major delays" after a "major collision." (Image courtesy of WSDOT real-time cameras)
(Image courtesy of WSDOT real-time cameras)
One person was killed in an Interstate 5 (I-5) south vehicle crash involving a pedestrian, the Washington State Patrol (WSP) reported Sunday evening.
The incident resulted in multiple lanes being blocked and traffic only getting by in the far left lane, WSP Public Information Officer Kelsey Harding wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, just before 6 p.m. Sunday.
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) confirmed on X Sunday night shortly after 9 p.m. that the accident had been cleared and all lanes were reopened .
The accident occurred at milepost 197.5 on I-5, which is the 37th Street NE exit south of Marysville.
At 6:21 p.m., the (WSDOT) reported the backup at that time was four miles.
A traffic sign the WSDOT camera captured at milepost 199.8 told drivers to “expect major delays” after a “major collision.” The image was up at 8:10 p.m. Sunday, but the message on the sign was removed at some point Sunday night.
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In her earlier X post, Harding asked for drivers and travelers to “be patient while troopers on scene investigate this tragic collision.”
🚨🚨S5 MP197 there is a 1 vehicle/pedestrian fatality collision blocking lanes 1 and 2. Traffic is getting by in the far left lane. Please be patient while troopers on scene investigate this tragic collision.
— Trooper Kelsey Harding (@wspd7pio) March 4, 2024
I-5 south vehicle crash was fairly close to where WSP trooper was killed
Sunday’s incident on I-5 south came fewer than 48 hours after a WSP trooper was killed early Saturday after his car was struck by a speeding vehicle on I-5 south, also near Marysville.
On Saturday afternoon, WSP announced Christopher Gadd, 27, from Pasco, Washington, was killed when a speeding driver hit his vehicle that was parked on the shoulder of the highway.
Serious incident: WSP Trooper killed in incident on I-5 near Marysville; Lynnwood man arrested
A Lynnwood man, 32, was arrested and charged with vehicular homicide. He was booked into the Snohomish County jail.
Gadd is survived by his wife Cammryn and a two-year-old daughter, Kaelynn.
The incident happened around 3 a.m. and caused massive traffic backups along I-5 for most of Saturday morning. I-5 south from 136th Street to 116 Street was closed for several hours.
“We have noticed more aggressive driving over the past 3-4 years since the pandemic,” WSP Chief John Batiste said Saturday during a news conference detailing what happened to Gadd. “We ask that you ease up on the gas and be more aware of your surroundings.”
Contributing: Bill Kaczaraba
Steve Coogan is the lead editor of MyNorthwest. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Steve on X, formerly known as Twitter, here and email him here.
