I-5 in Whatcom ‘was a real mess’ after backup from near head-on crash causes second crash
Interstate 5 north of Bellingham was a “mess” Thursday evening after the backup caused by a near head-on collision caused a second multi-car crash.
The first crash occurred at approximately 6:40 p.m. March 24, south of the Main Street exit in Ferndale, Washington State Patrol Trooper Jacob Kennett told The Bellingham Herald Friday, March 25.
A black Honda Civic merged onto southbound I-5 from Main Street and entered the right lane and then tried to merge into the left lane, apparently not noticing that a gray Honda Civic already occupied the left lane, Kennett told The Herald.
The gray Civic swerved to the left to avoid the black Civic, lost control and went through the median into northbound lanes, Kennett reported, where a red Toyota Rav4 was traveling in the left lane.
The Rav4 and gray Civic narrowly missed striking each other head-on, but still made significant contact along the the left sides of each vehicle, according to Kennett, and the driver of the Rav4 was taken to St. Joesph’s hospital in Bellingham with what were believed to be minor injuries.
Northbound traffic was closed while the State Patrol and other emergency crews worked to clear the scene, creating a two-mile backup to Slater Road, Kennett reported.
It was in this backup that a second crash occurred at approximately 7:20 p.m. in the northbound lanes of I-5 near the Slater Road exit, Kennett said.
In that crash, the driver of a red Chevrolet sedan traveling in the right lane didn’t notice the slowing traffic from the first crash until too late, Kennett said. The Chevrolet driver slammed on the brakes and swerved to the left to avoid an Infinity sedan in the right lane, but hit the Infinity in the left rear corner, according to Kennett.
That collision sent the Infinity rotating into the ditch on the right side of the freeway and the Chevrolet crossed the left lane and struck the guardrail, Kennett said.
Another car also ended up in the ditch, Kennett said.
“It was a real mess,” Kennett said.
The driver of the Chevrolet was unresponsive when Troopers arrived but came to after being taken to the hospital, Kennett reported, who said her injuries were believed to be minor. A child who was in the Chevrolet was not injured, Kennett said, and no serious injuries were reported from either crash.
Both crashes remain under investigation, Kennett reported.
