Tuesday morning during rush hour, a multiple vehicle crash occurred on southbound Interstate 5 at Northgate. Apparently, this crash led to a second, more serious crash in the northbound lanes when a motorcyclist struck an ambulance.
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According to SeattleTimes.com, a motorcyclist, riding north on Interstate 5 near Northgate this morning apparently became distracted by the commotion on the other side of the freeway as emergency workers dealt with the aftermath of three, near-simultaneous collisions that blocked southbound lanes for nearly two hours.
Washington State Trooper Cliff Pratt said that the 29-year-old Seattle man on the motorcycle “was watching the accident scene the entire time” and was illegally listening to music with ear buds stuck in each ear. “He wasn’t paying attention”, Pratt also said, and he slammed into the back of an ambulance that had parked in the northbound carpool lane, narrowly missing an EMT who had gone to her rig for medical supplies to treat patients involved in the earlier crashes.
Pratt also said it’s illegal for drivers to have headphones on or ear buds in both ears, though it’s fine to drive with one ear bud so long as you can hear surrounding noises. The motorcyclist will likely be cited for inattention to driving, he said.
“He’s not as bad as we first thought,” Pratt said. “He’s definitely messed up but it looks like he’s going to make it.”
By 8:30am, southbound lanes were completely reopened. Northbound lanes were cleared by approximately 9:30. But traffic was backed up for miles in both directions starting about 6:40 a.m., when seven southbound vehicles were involved in three separate car accidents in Seattle that caused one vehicle to roll onto its top and skid across into the carpool lane.
Though only minor injuries were sustained in that accident, southbound traffic was backed up during the morning’s commute more than six miles, to Lynnwood.
If you are seriously injured in an accident, or someone you know is injured or possibly even killed, call the skilled Seattle personal injury attorneys at Bernard Law Group, 1-800-418-8282. We can help you immediately. All e-mail and form submissions will be responded to by a qualified and knowledgeable member of our firm within 24 hours. Call our toll-free number 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and we promise to respond immediately.