No one was seriously hurt after a 45 vehicle pile-up caused an hours-long traffic jam on Sunday afternoon.
The accident happened on October 27th at around 1:40 p.m. on Interstate 5 near 272nd Street in Kent, Washington.
According to… drivers traveling on I-5 were traveling at fast speeds when they started colliding with each other, one after another. The chain-reaction collision involved a total of 45 vehicles.
“Everybody just started colliding into one another,” said one driver involved in the incident.
“Everybody just started colliding into each other.”
— Dave Detling (@DetlingFOX13) October 27, 2024
This driver telling @fox13seattle he tried to avoid the crash but it was unavoidable.
He and his family are okay. pic.twitter.com/fNbj9IhXx2
Several people were hospitalized as a result of the incident, but none with life-threatening injuries.
It was raining at the time of the collision, but Washing State Patrol Trooper Rick Johnson says that the incident was caused by motorists traveling too fast, not the weather conditions.
Traffic backups stretched as far back as five miles. Traffic was diverted to the SR 516 off-ramp as tow trucks worked to clear the wrecked vehicles. All lanes of I-5 were reopened by about 4:30 p.m.
UPDATE 2: All lanes are now blocked on SB I-5 just south of SR 516 in #Kent for a collision involving multiple vehicles.
— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) October 27, 2024
Traffic is being directed to use the SR 516 off-ramp. Tow trucks are in route.
The backup is 3 miles and growing. Avoid the area and seek alternate routes. https://t.co/uYArMGi3S0 pic.twitter.com/o60LAqnqwx