Collision near Narrows Bridge going into Tacoma causes traffic backups, delays
Drivers going into Tacoma on Friday morning across the Narrows Bridge ran into miles of backups because of a collision on eastbound state Route 16 at the head of the bridge.
The collision was reported at about 6:30 a.m., according to the Washington State Department of Transportation. The crash was cleared about 7:30 a.m. It caused backups extending about five miles to Rosedale Street Northwest in Gig Harbor. The incident blocked the three left lanes.
Washington State Patrol trooper Robert Reyer said the crash occurred when a 55-year-old Port Orchard woman driving a Nissan Sentra merged onto the highway from 24th Street and changed lanes in front of a semi truck, hitting the front of it with the back of her car.
The woman’s car spun in front of the truck, then struck a barrier on the left side of the highway. Reyer said her car bounced back onto the road and rolled onto its passenger side. The driver suffered minor injuries. She received an infraction for an unsafe lane change.
Reyer warned drivers that below-freezing temperatures were still causing icy and dangerous driving conditions Friday morning. Ice did not cause this crash, but in a tweet, he said areas near bridges can be especially unsafe.
This story was originally published February 25, 2022 at 8:01 AM.
