Three semi trucks collided on the westbound I-90 exit 34 off ramp near North Bend early Wednesday morning, September 30, 2015, closing the off ramp for nearly five hours.
According to a Washington State Patrol (WSP) accident report, around 4:20AM two semi trucks were parked along the off ramp [shoulder] near Truck Town when a third semi truck cut the gore point at the exit, striking a DOT sign and then one of the parked semi trucks. The force of the collision then pushed one parked semi into the other parked truck.
The 32-year old male driver of the semi that started the serious chain reaction collision was transported to Harborview Medical Center with critical injuries.
The other two male drivers (from Florida and Virginia) were transported to Snoqualmie Valley Hospital. Two of the semi trucks were totaled in the collision.
The accident is currently under investigation by the Washington State Patrol, but WSP stated that drugs and/or alcohol were not involved.
Comments
This is a good reason why truck town needs more parking, there is no where else for these trucks to park when they reach their allotted hours for the day except on the off ramps and the on ramps to I-90. It has been discussed many times, but there has been opposition from homeowners around truck town. It needs to be discussed again, soon.
I do drive and I’m based out of spokane there is nowhere for truck town to expand to there at the limits and a lot of it is poor trip planning a lot of this could be avoided if drivers would properly plan there days instead of running to the end of day not knowing where there gonna stop I always have parking it’s called trip planning
FYI at times WSP did take this enforcement for semi’s parking in exit/entrance ramps! RCW 47.52.120
Violations specified — Exceptions — Penalty.
(1) After the opening of any limited access highway facility, it shall be unlawful for any person to: (e) stop or park any vehicle or equipment within the right-of-way of such facility, including the shoulders thereof, except at points specially provided therefor, and to make only such use of such specially provided stopping or parking points as is permitted by the designation thereof:
(3) Any person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon arrest and conviction therefor shall be punished by a fine of not less than five dollars nor more than one hundred dollars, or by imprisonment in the city or county jail for not less than five days nor more than ninety days, or by both fine and imprisonment.
(4) Nothing contained in this section prevents the highway authority from proceeding to enforce the prohibitions or limitations of access to such facilities by injunction or as otherwise provided by law.
The description is so so right,there was NO collision I was the driver of the Abilene truck I was parked and in my sleeper when this happened the so called law allows drivers to park on off ramps in the state of Washington,and if it “illegal” I should have received a citation which I did not