Seattle, Washington – Semi Truck Crashes, Goes Over Barrier on I-5

Seattle, Washington (May 25, 2019) – A semi truck was reported to have crashed northbound Interstate 5 just before the West Seattle Bridge on Saturday afternoon. The truck went over a concrete barrier and was left partially hanging over an embankment. Fortunately, there were no reports of injuries from the incident.

The incident happened around 3 p.m. on Saturday. Tow crews were called in to remove the truck. The incident caused multiple lanes of traffic to be closed down, however most have been reopened before 5 p.m. The HOV lane will remain closed until the damage could be fixed. The Washington State Patrol is investigating the incident, but it appears that the driver lost control of his vehicle, leading to the incident.

About Vehicle Accidents

According to facts from the Insurance Institute Highway Safety and Highway Loss Data Institute, about 20% of vehicle crash deaths are from striking a fixed object along the side of the road. The top three fixed objects that are struck in these cases are trees, utility poles, and similar to this case, traffic barriers. As for the causes of crashing into these objects, the case is generally that of driver error. Some of the top contributing factors are alcohol, driving at excessive speeds, falling asleep or simply driver inattention. Additionally, a car crash caused by another vehicle can cause another vehicle to crash into another fixed object. Some situational factors are road conditions, weather, and poor visibility. In relation to poor visibility, almost half of the fatalities in crashes involving fixed objects are said to have occurred at night. While there are options such as placing breakaway or shielding objects along roads, or increasing the visibility of such fixed objects, the best solution is often to remove the fixed object if possible.

Regardless of the type of vehicle accident, the best way to solve a car accident is to try and prevent it. We urge all drivers to follow traffic regulations on the road. This includes following road safety, making sure one’s vehicle is stable and ready for the road, and making sure that one is not under the influence of drugs or alcohol before getting behind the wheel. Additionally, one should take extra caution on roads where there are possible hazards. In doing these steps, we can ensure our chances of avoiding any loss, damage, death or injuries while on the street.

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