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Here’s what happened to cause a 5-hour freeway closure in Bellingham

Northbound Interstate 5 was at a standstill about 9 a.m. Thursday, April 13, after a collision about 4:30 a.m. south of the Samish Way exit in Bellingham.
Northbound Interstate 5 was at a standstill about 9 a.m. Thursday, April 13, after a collision about 4:30 a.m. south of the Samish Way exit in Bellingham. Washington State Department of Transportation Courtesy to The Bellingham Herald

A 70-year-old man from Langley, B.C., was injured early Thursday, April 13, in a collision that blocked Interstate 5 for five hours in Bellingham, according to the Washington State Patrol.

The 2022 semi-truck towing a trailer was northbound on the freeway, approaching Samish Way, about 4:30 a.m. when it veered off the road, struck a guardrail and a Department of Transportation sign then rolled onto the road.

The cause of the collision is under investigation but the driver is believed to have had a medical issue, the patrol said.

The driver was taken to St. Joseph hospital in Bellingham. He was in critical condition Thursday evening, according to spokeswoman Beverly Mayhew.

The truck and trailer were totaled.

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Julie Shirley
The Bellingham Herald
360-715-2261
Julie Shirley directs news coverage for The Bellingham Herald and has been the executive editor since 2003. She’s been an editor in Florida, California and Washington since 1979.
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