Vantage, Washington – Semi Crash and Fire on the I-90

Vantage, Washington (April 10, 2019) – Troopers from the Washington State patrol responded to a report of a serious crash involving a semitruck on the Interstate 90 near Vantage Bridge, around 9:30 a.m. The semi rig crashed and caught fire, and fuel spilled from the tractor-trailer rig  closed all lanes as clean-up was done. There were no reported injuries from the accident, and the circumstances leading up to the crash are under investigation.

The accident closed all lanes of the road, though one westbound lane was reopened by 1:30 p.m. Eastbound lanes were opened around 4 p.m.. All the lanes have since been reopened.

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 also play a part in causing accidents. 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.

As seen in this accident, a crash can also lead to fires. Vehicle fires are a cause for alarm and can present a very dangerous situation. No matter the cause, all passengers are advised to get as far away from the car when it ignites. The nature of the vehicle and the materials used in it builds potential for big fires and explosions. There are hardly just one cause for any vehicle fires, as seen in this case – here, the causes are fuel leak and the vehicle’s crash. Fuel leaks are among the top reasons for vehicle fires, presenting a danger not only to the occupants but to other people in the area. The best way to handle these types of accidents is prevention – by proper driving and correct maintenance of the vehicle, we can easily ensure our own safety of and that of people around us.

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