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I-5 in Tacoma reopens after fatal truck crash

Authorities investigating after semi struck barrier early Tuesday

Steve Barrett
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Part of I-5 was closed in Tacoma, Washington, for several hours Tuesday after a truck driver struck a barrier. (Photo: Washington State DOT)
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Key Takeaways:

  • A fatal truck accident occurred early Tuesday morning on Interstate 5 in Tacoma, Washington.
  • The crash caused a closure of part of I-5 for several hours, requiring traffic diversions.
  • The truck driver was killed, and the cause of the accident is currently under investigation.
  • All lanes of I-5 were reopened around 2 p.m. PDT.
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A fiery crash in Tacoma, Washington, early Tuesday morning killed a truck driver, and part of Interstate 5 in the city was closed for several hours.

Crews had reopened all lanes as of about 2 p.m. PDT.

The driver struck a barrier, Trooper John Dattilo, Washington State Patrol District 1 public information officer, said in a post on X.

Traffic was diverted to off-ramps for several hours, and the Washington State Department of Transportation advised motorists to take alternate routes during that time.

The semi was on its side after the 4:45 a.m. crash, and images from the scene showed it was ripped apart and engulfed in flames.

The cause of the crash is under investigation. The truck driver has not been identified.

Steve Barrett

A copy editor for FreightWaves since 2019, Steve Barrett has worked as an editor and/or reporter for The Associated Press as well as newspapers in Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Nebraska. He also served as a senior managing editor for a medical marketing company, collaborating with some of the nation's most respected health care organizations and specialists in major markets in New York and Pennsylvania. He earned a Master of Mass Communications degree from the University of Georgia and a Bachelor of Arts in English and Spanish from the University of South Dakota.