Semi loses axle, snarling traffic heading into Seattle
SEATTLE -- Drivers heading into Seattle on State Route 509 faced an extra long commute Thursday morning because of a broken-down semi truck.
Officials said the semi lost an axle from its trailer and jackknifed in the northbound lanes of East Marginal Way just before 6 a.m.
No one was injured, but the trailer split open, leaving the truck blocking two of the three northbound lanes just north of the First Avenue South Bridge.
By 8 a.m., northbound traffic on SR-509 was backed up for more than three miles, and roads around the First Avenue South Bridge were also snarled.
Crews were unloading the broken trailer's load by hand, and officials said East Marginal Way would remain partially blocked until about noon.
Officials said the semi lost an axle from its trailer and jackknifed in the northbound lanes of East Marginal Way just before 6 a.m.
No one was injured, but the trailer split open, leaving the truck blocking two of the three northbound lanes just north of the First Avenue South Bridge.
By 8 a.m., northbound traffic on SR-509 was backed up for more than three miles, and roads around the First Avenue South Bridge were also snarled.
Crews were unloading the broken trailer's load by hand, and officials said East Marginal Way would remain partially blocked until about noon.
Glad that no one was injured...I was once on the freeway behind and left of a semi when one of the wheels broke loose - seeing the big tire bouncing towards me definitely cured my constipation...
I'm happy everyone was ok!
Looks like Axel Foley's back in town!!!
You can tell from the other pics showing the trailers backed up to the fence where the axles should be in relation to the rear of the trailer. Hate to have to unpack that load.
I see some one did not lock the axel slider! Lucky it did not rip all the way out!
@Exiled_Patriot Good eye!
Looks like the axles slid to the very back leaving the middle section without much support. The axles should be sitting about 6' or more forward. Wonder if they weren't locked in and when he hit the brakes they slid to the back.Â
Looks like a lot of misinformation on this one. The axle didn't break. It appears to be just a case of too heavy a load loadd into the middle of the trailer. Have seen this before and have come close to the same thing happening to me a couple of times. Semi trailers don't really have frames, they have a frame work but its not designed to carry heavy loads in the center of a trailer. The WSP needs to weigh this thing out in pieces and see how much the total weight is too. Very common for local drivers to haul overweight loads. Just too easy to get around the scales here in Washington.
@Blindman It is a adjustable axel and he did not lock it and when he touched the break the tractor and trailer moved forward the axel stayed in place that axel is to be about 6-8 feet forward of the doors.
@Blindman Not to argue... but to point out: current State law limits loads (to protect roadway) on each TIRE. As a result, I've seen trailers like this with an extra set of tires in the middle. Don't know if this was the point of failure, but adding extra tires in the middle like that doesn't seem safe to me. The images don't show, and the article doesn't say.
@Bomarc @Blindman Don't see any tag axle on the trailer or on the truck in the photos but that maybe the case. A tag axle on the truck is of no benefit in these kinds of loads. Don't know what the freight is but it looks like it might be boxed can goods which are very heavy. They really should regulate pallet weight on van loads and keep them to about 2000lbs each. Have hauled one roll of aluminum sheet that weighs 45,000 pounds in the center of trailers to get the axle weight right. Van trailers just aren't designed for these kind of loads. Better to put them on flatbeds that actually have frames under them.
Not sure if they'll ever publish all the facts but I'm betting 90%  most likely scenario is driver was going too fast for conditions on wet road. Ever since the trucker shortage there have been many unqualified truckers out there, and many foreigners too. These are dangerous operators and they're giving good truckers a bad name.Â
@NW-Economist No he never locked his slider on his axel and they slid out of the rail and he is lucky they did not just fly out.
@Exiled_Patriot @NW-EconomistSounds like bad maintenance to me.Â
@Exiled_Patriot @NW-Economist Ok...first of all KOMO got the story wrong. An axle did not break. The trailer broke. The driver drove from Auburn on his way to Seattle on SR 167, I410, I5, SR 599, etc. If the slider wasn't locked it would have broken long before getting to E Marginal Way. The driver has 30 years of experience, 20 of them with this company. The driver does not load the trailer, the customer does. And it was full of recyclable cardboard and paper...the driver did everything right.
@NW-Economist @Exiled_Patriot No Piss poor attention to detail all he had to do was look on the rail and see of the pins were in the holes. it is not a maintenance issue it is a lack of doing his job issue.
Nothing to do with maintenance if that was the case, they have slideable axles as part of their design.
@NW-EconomistEither that or some idiot cut the trucker off, causing them to stop too quickly...I see that too often these days as well. They need to reinforce that with people using signs similar to ones seen in Oregon on their highway system.
@BluefireJaguar @NW-Economist The article says he lost an axle. How would that happen by being cut off or going to fast on a slick road?
@jowsuf @NW-EconomistSounds like improper driving to me.Â
@NW-Economist This particular accident couldn't have been caused by how the truck was being operated. I highly doubt the driver was driving poorly. He most likely failed to properly set up his truck for his load before he headed out.Â
@jowsuf @NW-Economist @BluefireJaguarNot locking the axel slider + too heavy of a load + certain types of stress while moving (a.k.a. driving).Â
@NW-Economist @jowsuf @BluefireJaguar How do you lose an axle through bad driving? I don't understand.Â
@jowsuf @BluefireJaguar @NW-EconomistPoor maintenance + bad driving.
Don't you hate it when that happens!
Yes, I do hate it when that happens!! I am not understanding why it is jacknifed though. Seems to me, if the trailer broke its back, then it should stop fairly straight,... without jacknifing..
Hading? Not familiar with that word.