SEATTLE — Lanes of southbound I-5 were blocked near Mercer Street in Seattle after a crash left a truck in a precarious position against the rail on an elevated section of the freeway.
We later learned the driver, a 55-year-old Lynnwood man, died after having a medical emergency, according to the Washington State Patrol. It turned out that the man died from “acute drug intoxication, including cocaine,” according to the King County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The crash happened just before 10 a.m. on Monday, Mar. 18.
A WSDOT camera showed the truck resting diagonally against the railing, with two wheels off the ground. One rear wheel was on the railing, and one front wheel was in the air above Eastlake Avenue.
At one point, the three right lanes were closed. All lanes were back open shortly before 11:30 a.m., but traffic was backed up about 4 miles.
There were injuries involved in the crash, according to Washington State Patrol Trooper Rick Johnson.
UPDATE: The three right lanes are blocked on SB I-5 just south of Mercer St. in #Seattle for a collision. Medical Aid, Fire Assistance and Incident Response team is on scene.
— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) March 18, 2024
Prepare for delays or consider alternate routes. Backups are about 2 miles. https://t.co/6N6Zxjm16s pic.twitter.com/ViX1eg76hA
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