Fatality wreck jams traffic on I-5 near T-Dome

The driver of an SUV died Friday in Tacoma after the vehicle plunged off East L Street where it crosses Interstate 5 and landed on the freeway below.

The victim’s identity was not immediately released.

Tacoma police spokeswoman Loretta Cool said no one else was hurt.

The cause of the wreck is unknown. Witnesses told KIRO-TV they saw the SUV make a sharp turn on the L Street overpass, crash through a guardrail and plummet onto the freeway.

Traffic backed up for 12 miles on southbound I-5 as police and firefighters closed lanes while they investigated the 4 p.m. wreck.

Northbound traffic also jammed, and surface streets quickly clogged as rush-hour drivers sought alternative routes through the city.

Investigators cleared the wreck about 5 p.m., but it took some time for the back-up to dissipate.

This story was originally published April 10, 2015 at 4:44 PM with the headline "Fatality wreck jams traffic on I-5 near T-Dome."