Bellingham couple injured in I-5 crash in Seattle that snarls traffic in express lanes
Two Bellingham residents were among seven people injured in a four-car crash Saturday along Interstate 5 in Seattle that left the express lanes blocked for more than six hours.
The 19-year-old Shoreline driver was cited for following too closely was the only person involved in the crash who was listed as uninjured in the Washington State Patrol’s report on the crash, which occurred at approximately 8:36 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 10, near the Seattle Convention Center.
A 33-year-old Bellingham man and a 31-year-old Bellingham woman both were injured in the crash, though the Bellingham male driver was not transported from the scene due to his injuries, according to the report. The Bellingham woman passenger was one of two people taken to Harborview Medical Center.
All four cars involved in the crash were heading southbound in the I-5 express lanes near the Pike Street exit, according to the report. A 2021 Jeep driven by the Bellingham man was stopped for traffic, along with a 2016 Honda Civic.
A 1996 Nissan 200SX stopped abruptly for the traffic, according to the report, but the 2018 Ram 1500 pickup driven by the 19-year-old Shoreline man could not stop and struck the Nissan, causing the Nissan to hit the Civic. The Civic rotated and struck the Jeep, while the pickup rotated and struck the Civic, according to the report, and all four vehicles came to rest blocking the express lanes.
All eight people involved in the crash were wearing their seat belts, according to the report, and drugs or alcohol were not believed to have been involved. The report listed the cause of the crash, which left the express lanes fully blocked for six hours and 14 minutes, as speeds too fast for conditions.
