I-5 was reopened the morning of Sept. 22 following a three-vehicle crash that resulted in all of the southbound lanes being closed for approximately 12 hours while emergency crews worked at the scene.
The crash involved three large trucks, one of which was a tanker and trailer hauling 10,000 gallons of gasoline and 900 gallons of diesel fuel. Although the tanker truck and its trailer ended up on its side, none of the gasoline escaped. The diesel portion of the tank did rupture releasing the diesel fuel into the ditch next to the freeway. Firefighters from several local fire departments, Washington State Patrol, Department of Ecology, and a private company worked throughout the night to contain the spill and to ensure that none of the fuel ignited.
Although no one was injured in the crash, thousands were inconvenienced by the closure of I-5 and northbound traffic was delayed in the area of the crash as people slowed down to view the damage. This led to at least one other crash during this time.
In order to upright the fully loaded tanker, workers had to drill holes in the side of the tanks to drain the fuel out. This process was carried out without mishap though fire crews stood ready with hose lines in the event of a fire or explosion. Fire Department hazardous materials response teams from throughout south King County responded to the call including a crash truck from the Port of Seattle.
Washington State Patrol and the Department of Ecology will be investigating the incident.
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