Accident Debris Triggers Chain-Reaction 21-Vehicle Crash on Foggy I-5

Early this morning, multiple drivers on northbound I-5 ran into a mess of debris that caused a 21-car pile-up.

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The Washington State Patrol and WSDOT report that around 5 a.m., debris in the roadway triggered what was initially reported as a 10-car pileup. Within a short time, the number of cars involved grew much larger.

Washington State Patrol- 20 Car Pile Up Before Sunrise on I-5

According to Trooper Kameron Watts with Washington State Patrol, the initial reports came in just after 5 a.m. When troopers arrived and more calls rolled in, they said that the scope of the accident was much larger than originally thought. The reports originally stated 10 vehicles, but that quickly escalated to 21 total vehicles involved. All of this happened with heavy, thick fog just before sunrise and very limited visibility.

The culprit wasn’t weather or speed, but was caused by debris in the road. Troopers later confirmed that the objects were likely a muffler or bumper that had been left in the roadway after an earlier collision just before 5 a.m. Trooper Kameron Watts was asked why tow companies had not removed all debris, and responded that tow trucks had not yet arrived on scene. The debris was from an accident that happened immediately before.

Traffic Chaos on I-5

WSDOT Tacoma reported a roughly four-mile backup stretching from the Pierce–King County line to the Puyallup River. Multiple lanes were blocked, leaving drivers moving slowly in a single lane. Flat tires were common, and damaged vehicles were lined up along the shoulder waiting for tows with mild damage.

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Despite the scale of the crash, there was some good news. Injuries Were Minimal, with only one person being transported to the hospital, and no other injuries were reported. Many of the crashes were cars striking smaller debris rather than high-impact car-to-car collisions,s and that caused lots of damage with few injuries.

By late morning, the roadway was fully reopened.

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