Local government officials in western Washington are pushing for a new law they are calling the “Stupid Motorist Law” after a series of serious bridge strikes.
Earlier this week, the Bullfrog Road bridge over I-90 near Cle Elum, Washington was seriously damaged after a semi truck crashed into it. Police say that the truck driver violated his permit, and the bridge will need to be demolished due to the extent of the damage. This comes after the re-opening of the White River Bridge, which was damaged in a different incident involving a semitruck.
Now, local officials are calling for more serious consequences for truck drivers who damage bridges in crashes. King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn says that the new law would be called the “Stupid Motorist Law.” Dunn has already written a letter to Washington State Department of Transportation Secretary Julie Meredith and Ferguson, encouraging legislative action against truck drivers who cause this type of damage.
“This isn’t just another car accident [and] we gotta stop treating it like another car accident. It’s a serious economic harm and a harm to taxpayers,” Dunn said to KING 5. “If we don’t put something like this in place, it’s going to keep happening.”
“The governor is clearly frustrated. He worked so hard to get the White River Bridge up, then this dum-dum runs into [the Bullfrog Road bridge],” said Dunn. “It’s not just about an operator or driver making a stupid choice, it’s that the damage creates economic wreckage,” said Dunn.
dun n is also urging WSDOT to study bridge and overpass crashes to determine the root cause of the incidents.