Semi truck collision on I-5 near Olympia cleared after hours-long cleanup
Nov 28, 2018, 9:57 AM | Updated: 4:26 pm
A multiple-vehicle collision blocked all lanes of southbound I-5 for most of the Wednesday workday, and part of the northbound lanes, leaving an overturned semi truck and a massive mess of powdered milk spread across the freeway just south of Tumwater.
According to the Washington State Patrol, a pickup truck was traveling too fast on the wet freeway while traveling northbound near Mile Post 99. The pickup lost control, causing the semi truck to swerve to avoid striking the smaller vehicle. The semi then crashed through the center barrier into the southbound lanes where it struck a FedEx truck. It came to rest on its side, blocking all southbound lanes and one northbound lane.
“As that vehicle rolled, the container itself was split open when it struck the center median,” said Washington State Trooper Johnna Batiste. “It was hauling bags of powdered milk. We’ve got bags of powdered milk, powdered milk, and a busted container (on the road).”
One southbound lane opened by 11:35 a.m.
The pickup came to rest in the bushes on the east side of the road. No injuries were reported from the collision with the passenger car. An injury was reported in the collision with the FedEx truck, but it is unknown how severe.
Southbound traffic was diverted to nearby 93rd Avenue.
Tow trucks and crews with the Washington State Department of Transportation worked all day to clear the scene.
@wsdot_tacoma and Nisqually Towing are still working to clear the rest of this semi container and debris out of the road. pic.twitter.com/CxlijaUn6t
— Trooper Johnna Batiste (@wspd1pio) November 28, 2018
As of 1:17 p.m., crews had three separate operations underway: First, crews had already hauled away the demolished semi-truck, next “heavy equipment is hauling away any remaining wreckage,” and finally, the barrier needed to be repaired.
Cleanup continues to remove debris from the roadway on I-5 between #Tumwater and #Maytown. pic.twitter.com/Kh2CggdBNP
— WSDOT Tacoma Traffic (@wsdot_tacoma) November 28, 2018
An update from Trooper Johnna Batiste at 2:11 p.m. said that “crews are still working to clean up this morning mess. Barriers are being put back in to place, and we hope to be able to open all lanes soon.”
As of 3:02 p.m., all northbound lanes of I-5 were officially cleared. Southbound lanes soon followed.
Wednesday morning’s rain brought a series of traffic accidents with it. Between 5 a.m. and 6:15 a.m., troopers scrambled to respond to multiple collisions along I-5.
“Troopers in Pierce and Thurston County had handled six or seven collisions,” Batiste said. “And that was in an hour and 15 minutes.”
Troopers investigated more than 30 collisions between 5 a.m. and 1 p.m. Tuesday.
“We live in Washington,” Batiste said. “The wet, rainy season is here. We need drivers to remember to slow down and pay attention.”
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