Authorities say man killed along I-5 in Bellingham survived rollover crash before being struck
A fatality along Interstate 5 near the Meridian exit in Bellingham on Tuesday night was the result of a man who was involved in a previous crash running across the freeway and being struck by an oncoming car, authorities said Wednesday.
Washington State Patrol first responded to reports of a vehicle rollover in the area, and when troopers arrived they saw the driver of the vehicle, Sean M. Smet, 24, of Bellingham, run across I-5 into the oncoming lane of traffic.
A Mount Vernon woman driving a vehicle the other direction then hit him, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
A WSP trooper said Wednesday he didn’t know why Smet ran across I-5, and that he was not wanted by police at the time.
The incident shut down I-5 traffic through Bellingham in both directions late Tuesday between Meridian Street and Northwest Avenue for several hours. Traffic resumed at normal flow just after midnight.
This story was originally published January 8, 2025 at 3:54 PM.
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