Fatal crash stalls Interstate 5 traffic near Ferndale for several hours

A fatal collision on southbound Interstate 5 at Ferndale is blocking all lanes, with no estimated time for when the road will re-open, according to a social media post from Washington State Patrol Trooper Kelsey Harding.

The multi-vehicle crash was reported on I-5 between Main Street and Slater Road in Ferndale. Drivers are encouraged to use alternate routes.

Medical Aid, fire assistance, the Incident Response Team and the WSP are on scene, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.

In a social media post just after 5 p.m., WSDOT said backups were more than 2 miles long. The southbound lanes remained blocked near Main St. (MP 262).

WSDOT reported that the scene was still being cleared and both lanes of traffic remained blocked as of 7:40 p.m. The scene was declared clear with full flow of traffic around 9:15 p.m.

This story was originally published January 20, 2026 at 4:48 PM.