Rollover crash snarls traffic on I-5
SEATTLE -- A rollover crash in the northbound lanes of Interstate 5 caused a huge backup for traffic heading into the city early Monday.
The crash happened about 6:30 just north of the ramp to Interstate 90 and involved a Metro bus and at least one other car.
Firefighters blocked three of the northbound lanes while they worked to get to the driver and get the car back on its wheels.
The driver was taken to Harborview Medical Center to be checked out but was not seriously injured.
Video from the scene showed passengers being unloaded from a Metro bus and placed on another bus.
It was not immediately clear which vehicle was at fault in the crash.
The wreck was cleared to the shoulder by 7:30 a.m., but the backup remained heavy.
The crash happened about 6:30 just north of the ramp to Interstate 90 and involved a Metro bus and at least one other car.
Firefighters blocked three of the northbound lanes while they worked to get to the driver and get the car back on its wheels.
The driver was taken to Harborview Medical Center to be checked out but was not seriously injured.
Video from the scene showed passengers being unloaded from a Metro bus and placed on another bus.
It was not immediately clear which vehicle was at fault in the crash.
The wreck was cleared to the shoulder by 7:30 a.m., but the backup remained heavy.
It's good that driver doesn't get hurt seriously. Mostly accidents are happens at night. and now the new has come i hope this year will go great for everybody.
http://www.limousineshub.com
That merge lane is NIGHTMARE. I have to take it from time to time to get to where I live (I avoid that part of I-5 as much as possible) and it can be very tricky trying to merge into that lane for I-90 when all those cars are mostly wanting to merge into your lane to go to Seattle. Of course, we don't know how to drive either so that doesn't help. Glad nobody is seriously hurt.
Just another day in Seattle - clear, dry semi-holiday morning with lighter traffic and the people around here still can't drive.
I don't envy bus drivers as people have to be 'encouraged' to let a vehicle move over I've lost track of how many times I have sped up or slowed down trying to get over and not being let in. You are in the small car yeild to the larger bus and let them over... bigger does not imply they see you! Glad the driver is ok but seriously folks let buses over as a few car spaces are not gogin to add much if any time to your commute!
@Freespeech This of course implying that the bus driver is SIGNALLING their intent/request to change lanes! If you don't know they want to move over how would you know to let them in?
First, I hope the driver of the car is alright. Second, it wouldn't surprise me if this was the fault of the bus driver. Obviously we don't know what happened and I'm not assuming anything, but last week a Metro bus driver almost took off the driver's side of my vehicle. I was in my lane and without warning the bus moved over. Typically the type of scream that I produced is used for walking into spider webs, but on that day I thought I was toast.Â
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Nothing against busses, but sometimes those guys just squeeze you out.Â
 @LidoGirl It was definately not the bus driver's fault. I was on the bus. The bus was traveling in the HOV lane at freeway speed. The car swerved in front of the bus from stop and go traffic one lane over.  The bus driver did an awesome job keeping the bus under control as best he could.Â
 @sounthend girl I was also apart of the craziness this morning.  I was the guy who climbed in through the rear window to check on her and make sure she stayed conscious until the EMT's got there. Talked to a witness and she said the same thing, the women driving the car was at fault. Not only did she get hit by the bus, she also hit two trucks ( one of which I was in )  before flipping over and sliding to a halt. I still kinda feel bad for her, car is totaled, medical costs because she was the only one really hurt, traffic violations, and for sure not going to work today. But at least she gets to see her family again.
 @LidoGirl Don't Hover beside a bus or a truck...  Problem solved.  Better yet, why not take said bus???? Â
I wasn't hovering next to the bus. I was in the passing lane and was actively passing the bus. I wasn't trying to out run the bus I was going with the flow of traffic. I was at about the mid-section of the bus. The bus started entering my lane. No signal light. He just moved on over.Â
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FYI - I do yield to busses and anyone who signals. I know all too well the frustration of just trying to merge. I commute from quite a distance every day and try to be as considerate and courteous as I'd like to be treated.
 @People Need To Wake Up  @LidoGirl Have you checked the routes? I would need to walk a half mile to the nearest stop since they cut the routes, then transfer three times to get to downtown Seattle. Total time: 2 hours and 15 minutes for a drive I could do in 25 minutes.
THAT'S why not take the bus.
@LidoGirl One of the reasons why I won't linger next to any bus or truck for more than a second or two while passing. They can't see you there.
 @technocat ...and they don't look.
 @technocat You are one of the RARE few that do that.  Hovering around the sides of a bus or a truck is spelling disaster for the driver of the car.  Let us do our jobs, people.  Quit being jerks because a truck or a bus slowed you down for a few seconds. Â
 @LidoGirl you're probably one of those who don't yield to the busses...
@Theonedog @LidoGirl You must be a Metro operator. Take a trip downtown any given day, and observe the metro drivers running red lights and cutting off other motorists. Seems like Metro doesnt feel it is obligated to observe the same rules that apply to regular motorists.
 @northwestsurfer  @Theonedog  @LidoGirl I was on the bus. We were NB on I-5 (from the south-end) not merging from I-90 and not changing lanes. The Subaru moved into our lane.
@People Need To Wake Up @Theonedog @LidoGirl calm down dude, take some qualudes. First of all, you dont know the entire story, none of us do. I was only stating an observation: bus drivers here in the Seattle metropolitan area do not observe traffic laws that they are required to follow. They create a safety hazard, just like the motorists you are blaming.
Second, simple physics determines the point of no return, and I see operators who run RED lights, I am not talking about yellow lights. There is a big difference, and what I see is blatant violations of the law.
I also see metro drivers cutting off other motorists; are you going to rationalize that this is legal? Thats all I was saying; and for the record I do yield. I yield to anyone who has the right of way.
 @People Need To Wake Up  @northwestsurfer  @Theonedog  @LidoGirl PNTWU, you are the RARE exception. Downtown Seattle bus drivers are the WORST!! They know they are sacred cows. The police won't touch 'em and complaints get forgotten as soon as you hang up. In a collision, they are exonerated before the ink dries on your citation, and you WILL be cited, no matter what the bus did to cause it.
 @northwestsurfer  @Theonedog  @LidoGirl YIELD TO THE BUSSES!!!!!!!!!!  Its a simple thing...  Commercial drivers have what is called a "Past the point of no return" when it comes to traffic lights.  I have been a commercial driver for more than 25 years and I do see some drivers not following the rules, BUT.  I see MORE that do follow the rules.  Drivers in cars on the other hand, get all frustrated and upset whenever they see a truck, bus, etc that may slow them down.  I have seen idiots cut in front of me, and then do a right hand turn with less than 200 feet of the erratic lane change.  Looking in my rear view mirror, there was nobody behind me.  Is it worth saving a few seconds just to get possibly killed by a truck or a bus????  Think first people..  We are just trying to do our job out there...  Not saying all of us are saints but MOST do have some common sense and courtesy out there. Â