State Patrol vehicle hit as it responds to another incident on I-5 south of Bellingham
A deer strike along Interstate 5 south of Bellingham resulted in a backup of more than 2½ hours Thursday morning after a responding Washington State Patrol vehicle was struck by a passing motorist.
Nobody was injured from the collision with the state patrol vehicle, Trooper Heather Axtman told The Bellingham Herald.
“Sadly, we do get hit more often statewide than we really should,” Axtman said. “It serves as a good reminder to move over when you see the lights.”
The patrol vehicle was empty at the time of the crash, according to the State Patrol release on the incident, and it was struck by a 1998 Honda Passport driven by a 36-year-old Bellingham woman. Three passengers were in the Honda, including two girls under the age of 10, but none were injured.
The initial crash with the deer occurred slightly after 6 a.m. near the North Lake Samish exit of southbound I-5, Axtman reported, adding that that collision blocked the left lane of southbound traffic.
A trooper stopped to tend to that collision, when their vehicle was then struck, Axtman said. She added that she was unaware of any conditions that would have made it difficult to see at the time of the crash.
As of 8:43 am., southbound traffic was still backed up well beyond the Washington State Department of Transportation traffic camera at the Lake Samish Park and Ride, but cameras showed the backup cleared by 9 a.m.
This story was originally published October 29, 2020 at 9:11 AM.
