Update: All Interstate 5 lanes near Lakewood back open after fatal crash
Both directions of Interstate 5 near Lakewood are shut down after a wreck between a semi-truck and barrier left one person dead Tuesday morning.
I-5 northbound at South 84th Street and I-5 southbound at South 72nd Street are closed, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation. The wreck was reported at 4:46 a.m.
The semi-truck reportedly lost control and struck the barriers, Washington State Patrol Trooper John Dattilo told The News Tribune. It then caught on fire. West Pierce Fire & Rescue crews worked on extinguishing the flames earlier this morning.
The truck’s driver has died, Dattilo wrote on X. State Patrol is working to investigate the details that led to the crash.
Dattilo said the driver was a man in his 20’s. He was the only person in the truck.
It is unknown if intoxication was a factor in the crash as the medical examiner will determine that, he said. Weather could have also been a factor.
This is expected to be an extended closure and drivers are asked to use alternate routes or delay their travel. Side routes are also affected, Lakewood police wrote on X.
Dattilo said WSDOT is putting down sand on the southbound side, and crews have gotten debris out of two lanes. Tow trucks have been called for the northbound lanes.
Several Pierce Transit routes are delayed due to the crash, according to the transportation service. Sound Transit buses serving the I-5 corridor between Pierce and King counties have delays, with a few cancellations this morning, the regional transit agency reported. Passengers should check rider alerts at soundtransit.org for the most recent information
10 a.m. update: Three of the southbound lanes have reopened, but northbound I-5 remains closed, according to WSDOT.
“This is a very difficult operation to remove the burned semi-truck. Unfortunately, the rig is coming apart in pieces. There’s also the load the truck was carrying. Plus, we’re repairing the center divider. This is far from over,” WSDOT Tacoma wrote on x.
Afternoon update: All lanes on I-5 near Lakewood have reopened, WSDOT said on X.
This story was originally published April 29, 2025 at 7:23 AM.
