A sport utility vehicle rests between two trucks on Interstate 5 today. / Courtesy photo by Riverside Fire Authority
Updated
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
The Washington State Patrol says there were no major injuries from a series of wrecks on southbound Interstate 5 at Centralia today.
The first one came about 10:30 a.m. just prior to the construction area, according to Trooper Will Finn.
“There were multiple collisions, lots of collisions, even while we were out there, people were still crashing,” Finn said.
Lewis-Thurston county line about 5 p.m.
Crews from Riverside Fire Authority responded initially to a report of multiple vehicles with two semi trucks involved.
The state Department of Transportation alerted motorists to a backup that stretched nearly to the Maytown rest area.
Interstate 5 narrows down to two lanes coming in to Centralia, allowing for a huge bottleneck, Finn said.
“It sounds like a little bit weather related, a little bit traffic related,” he said.
He said he didn’t know how many people were transported to the hospital, but he understood there were only minor injuries. He didn’t have a count yet this afternoon of how many cars and trucks were involved.
However, the fire department later reported they responded to four collisions involving eight semi trucks and seven other vehicles.
One patient sustained severe injuries and five suffered minor injuries, according to Fire Capt. Scott Weinert. All were taken to Providence Centralia Hospital, according to Weinert.
Troopers were on the scene until 1:30 p.m., Finn said.
Late this afternoon, the state patrol in Lewis County turned its attention to U.S. Highway 12 east of Packwood.
Dispatchers were taking calls of spinouts and blocking accidents in the area near state Route 123, with other motorists trying to chain up to drive over White Pass, Finn said at about 4:45 p.m.
The state Department of Transportation last night reopened one lane over the pass, following a lengthy closure from washouts during the last round of flooding.
Commercial trucks – tractor-trailer combinations – are prohibited except for an allowance for local deliveries.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
I work for the DOT and would like to put this out there for people to think about: it is considered courteous by some to merge into a single lane when you see a line of cars getting ready for a lane ending instead of racing ahead and squeezing in at the last minute. However, motorists can help minimize a long traffic jam by utilizing the open lanes up until they end. Instead of everyone merging into one lane, creating a long, slow moving line, use the available lanes up until the merge. The problem comes when people do not feel the need to let others merge in if they are trying to merge “at the last minute”. If all lanes were utilized up until the very end, it helps alleviate some of the traffic jam. People need to be courteous and respectful of one another in situations like this. I am not condoning those that do “race” ahead and abruptly cut in at the last minute. Motorists should be taking turns letting people merge in when a lane ends. And to the person that indicated that someone deserves to be caught under a semi-truck for trying to cut in: it’s that type of thought process that brings unnecessary hostility to the roads and other drivers. Nobody deserves that, even if you think they have poor driving manners.
Oh, for crying in the night, people! It is plain stupidity in driving habits. When a sign says “merge right, lane ends” DO IT, sooner, rather than later!! Very simple, problem solved!! And, the lanes ARE NOT that narrow–2 semi’s side by side CAN go through there AND maintain their own lane!! Have any of you ever looked in your side mirror to see where you’re actually situated in the roadway? Too many driver’s are scared they are going to scrape the concrete jersey barrier and end up driving in both lanes…..look in your side mirror to see actually how far away your car is from that barrier!
That area is posted down to 50. People need to be considerate drivers and merge before it drops to two lanes. Basic driving maners
it’s not the lanes narrowing down that is the issue — it is the idiots that think they can force their way in at the last moment rather than merging in when they should — I see it every time I drive through there, some ass at 70 MPH trying to pass “one more car” serves them right when they end up under a Semi — and the speed limit is 50 mph
It does drop to 50 right there. The problem is if you don’t take that stretch of road every day, you don’t know quite how long you have left til that lane ends. I know I like to get in the far right lane before the bottle neck because I usually exit at Harrison. The problem is out of towners or just inconsiderate drivers that want to cut ahead of ten cars leaving them out of room to merge and that person in the middle lane kind of has to accommodate them.
Jeff is correct. It is extremely narrow. They should reduce the speed limit to 50 where the shoulders are not available.
The two lanes it turns into is barely wide enough for two little honda cars to get through side by side..