WA State Patrol Responds to Multiple Morning Semi-Truck Crashes

It’s not every morning that the Washington State Patrol has to deal with not one, but two separate semi-truck incidents. Yet, that is what happened this morning.

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Trooper Rick Johnson from the Washington State Patrol shared updates this morning that looked like crash course training for semi drivers.

The Washington I-5 Overpass Sign Warned No Trucks Allowed

Let’s start with downtown Seattle, where a long white semi decided to test fate after trying to make a right-hand turn from Spring Street onto the I-5 overpass. The problem? The big yellow sign right above clearly warned: “No right turn for truck combinations.”

Signs like this are not there for decoration, but are there for a good reason. The warning is because geometry shows that trucks with a large turning radius or trailer length can not make the turn. The driver ended with the trailer high-centered on the barrier. Its wheels dangled like a kid swinging their legs from a chair, all while blocking the onramp.

A Hazmat Rollover Near SeaTac

Not long after the onramp issue, the Washington State Patrol was called to a bigger mess where a semi rolled over on SR-509 near South 188th Street. The trailer, labeled “Airostream Logistics,” had tipped over into a ditch. The trailer disconnected from the semi when it tipped over, while the cab stayed upright.

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EMTs, fire crews, and even a hazmat team rushed to the scene. Thankfully, the hazmat response cleared without a major incident, but the highway closure left drivers with no choice but to wait.

Two semis, and two different scenarios, but the lesson is the same.