Interstate 5 south shut down at Route 16 after semi-trucks crash
Interstate 5 was a mess of crunched trailers and frustrated drivers during the Tuesday morning commute in Tacoma after two big rigs collided and shut down the southbound lanes of the freeway for over three hours.
The incident at state Route 16 began at 6:45 a.m. when the driver of a tractor-trailer attempted to pass traffic where the road curves to the south, said Washington State Patrol spokeswoman Johnna Batiste.
“He over-corrected and tried to go back to the right,” she said.
Instead, the driver lost control, causing his trailer to swing around into what’s commonly called a jackknife position. His cab crashed into the cab of another semitrailer in the far right lane.
Concrete barriers that separate southbound I-5 and the on-going construction zone were smashed.
Diesel fuel leaked across the freeway and into the northbound lanes. Two of the three lanes were shut down as crews cleaned up the spill.
The driver who caused the wreck was cited for negligent driving in the second degree, Batiste said. There were no injuries reported.
During the incident, southbound traffic was detoured onto the Route 16 and South 38th Street exits.
Northbound traffic backed up as far south as South 72nd Street.
The road was fully opened just after 10 a.m.
Craig Sailor: 253-597-8541, @crsailor
This story was originally published December 11, 2018 at 8:40 AM.
