Image Courtesy of Washington State Department of Transportation
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – Those people injured in this morning’s train derailment onto Interstate 5 in Dupont in Pierce County are being taken to numerous hospitals, with one dozen individuals expected at Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia.
Hospital spokesperson Chris Thomas said no patients from the incident are expected at Providence Centralia Hospital.
“From what I heard, there were about 100 people on the train,” Thomas said.
The Amtrak passenger train was heading southbound, according to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office.
All lanes of southbound Interstate 5 at Mounts Road near DuPont are closed for an extended period of time due, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.
WSDOT advises motorists to only travel if needed and to expect long delays on alternate routes. Gov. Jay Inslee suggests commuters avoid I-5 in the area.
Thomas said the injured are being sent to the five to six hospitals around Tacoma and north, as well as Providence St. Peter.
The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office states multiple motorists injured on roadway, but no fatalities of motorists reported.
Amtrak advises the Amtrak Cascades Train 501 departed from Seattle with approximately 78 passengers and five crew members.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
Let’s give former state senator Dan Swecker his share of the credit for this tragedy. He was the one pushing hardest for state highway funds to be given to the railroads for this kind of boondoggle. Notice the sides of the wrecked train cars say “WSDOT.” A huge waste of taxpayer money for a few passengers. Now more money has to be spent to clean up this mess.
what a sad situation, while I am no rocket scientist, it is pretty obvious that the train was going way to fast for the curve, the curve is way too tight and was designed for probably 30-35 MPH. Yeah, they might have rebuilt the line, but they did not change the geometrics to this curve, and I would bet a bottom dollar with all the testing they did-I bet they never tested the track at 80 MPH, cause if they did, the crash would of happened during testing. Thoughts and prayers to the injured and to family of the ones that died.