Tacoma, Washington – Semi Truck Crashes into Barrier at I-5

Tacoma, Washington (March 26, 2019) – Around 4 am this Tuesday, a semi-truck driver lost control of his vehicle, then jackknifed and crashed into the jersey barrier in the center of Interstate 5 near State Route 16. No injuries were reported on the scene, though emergency crews have to clean up 50 gallons of spilled fuel on the road. Clean-up of the scene closed some lanes and diverted traffic for some time until the semi-truck was later towed away.

The driver seems to have lost control after the vehicle slipped on the wet roadway. This accident is the most recent in a string of known incidents of semi-trucks crashing into the jersey barrier in the center of Interstate 5. The semi-truck accidents began on September 30, and the most recent case before this happened in January 23. Notably, two crashes occurred within 45 minutes of each other in early October. These accidents often happened in the late evening or early morning hours.

About Truck Accidents

The state of Washington’s  2015 Annual Collision Data Summary reported that 6,091 commercial vehicle or heavy trucks were involved in collisions in 2015. These crashes included 38 fatal collisions, 85 serious injury collisions, 1,352 minor injury collisions, 4,565 property damage collisions, and 51 unknown injury collisions. Truck accidents can have many causes, and due to the size and road performance of these vehicles, the involvement of one in an accident can lead to heavy losses. Unlike other vehicles, truck accidents can involve many people other than the driver, such as the owner of the truck, the manufacturer of parts, the company which handles it, and so on and so forth.

Truck accidents also have a varied list of causes. Weather and road conditions can play a part in it, as was the case in this particular truck accident. There are also of course driver errors, as well as lack of training in operating the truck. Additionally, due to the type of job, both drivers and vehicles can experience fatigue. Whether operating a truck or seeing one on the road, all drivers must follow regulations to avoid incurring damages and injuries to themselves and people around them. If you have been the victim of a truck accident, we extend our sympathy and compassion.

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