Fatal motorcycle crash snarls I-5 traffic in Arlington

A 24-year-old Bellingham woman was killed on I-5 Monday morning near the Stillaguamish River Bridge in Arlington.

Washington State Trooper Mark Francis says she slammed her motorcycle into an SUV from behind, not noticing that traffic had slowed for an accident on the shoulder.

“She crashed into the back of the Volkswagen Touareg,” says Francis.

The woman died at the scene and the 48-year-old driver of the Volkswagen was taken to the hospital as a precaution.

“With the weather getting nicer, motorcycles especially need to slow down and pay attention to their surroundings. One small mistake can literally mean life or death,” says Francis.

I-5 was reduced to one lane, which caused about a five mile backup. All lanes were reopened at about 12:30pm.

KIRO Radio’s Chris Sullivan contributed to this report.