Southbound I-5 reopens in downtown Seattle following hours-long closure after wrong-way crash

SEATTLE — A wrong-way crash closed all lanes of southbound Interstate 5 for hours in downtown Seattle Monday morning.

All lanes reopened at about 9:54 a.m.

The Washington State Department of Transportation tweeted about the crash just south of Mercer Street at 5:15 a.m.

All southbound lanes were closed at around 5:30 a.m. Traffic was being diverted off at Mercer.

At 6:58 a.m., WSDOT said a crew switched the express lanes to the southbound direction early.

The Seattle Fire Department said the crash involved two cars and a semi-truck. Multiple people were hurt.

Washington State Patrol Trooper Rick Johnson said the driver who caused the crash was heading the wrong way. It is not yet known if they got onto the freeway the wrong way or if they made a U-turn while already on the freeway.

Initially, it was believed the driver who caused the crash simply spun out.

That driver was taken into custody for investigation of vehicular assault because they were suspected to be impaired and the occupants of the other car were hurt.

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