Fiery crash causes big backup on I-5 South

11/27/2001

Reported by Jim Forman, KING 5 News


SEATTLE - On Tuesday afternoon an Acura ended up wedged under a big rig, burned to a crisp. Three people just made it out of the fiery mess of twisted metal.

The crash and fire crippled the evening commute.

Jamir Singh Barar was heading to San Francisco to pick up a load of fish when he saw trouble coming at him in his rearview mirror.

“These guys were driving crazy really fast on the highway,” he says.

Barar says the Acura lost control and plowed under his truck. As the flames spread fast he and his buddy raced to get everyone out.

“We say get out of the car, get out of the car,” says Barar.

They did. The first troopers on the scene thought someone must have been killed, but no one was injured.

“We have witnesses that say a couple cars were racing and then maybe hit the jersey barrier, bounced off, ran underneath the truck. When they hit the truck, the brakes on the truck malfunctioned. That's why you see such a large scene, the truck actually dragged the car from there to here,” said Monica Hunter of the Washington State Patrol.

The tremendous back-up had ripple effects across the region, with many Sonics fans missing the tip-off of Tuesday night’s game.

The accident is under investigation.

 

KIRO 7 EYEWITNESS NEWS
SEATTLE -- A crash on I-5 that created havoc during Tuesday evening's commute was caused by two cars racing on the freeway.

The accident forced the closure of all southbound I-5 lanes near Spokane Street, as a car and semi-truck burned.

A spokesperson for the Washington State Patrol tells KIRO 7 Eyewitness News that two cars were racing down I-5, weaving in and out of traffic, back and forth across lanes.

One of the cars lost control, hit the jersey barrier and went under the semi truck. The semi couldn't stop, and dragged the vehicle a long way.

The vehicles burned for some time before crews could get the fire out.

Only one southbound lane was open at the height of the commute at 5 p.m.

Initial reports indicated there were no serious injuries.

 

Damn ***** Bastards!

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'91 Camaro RS - TBI 305 - medium garnet - '91-'92 Z28 wheels - leather - all power options (except power seat) - t-tops - Clarion head unit - Pioneer 4way 200watt 6x9s - Rockford Fosgate Punch amp and 2 Fosgate 12" subs - Edelbrock open element w/ K&N filter - Random Technology highflow cat - some free mods, more coming soon...

 

Dumber than a bag of hammers !

Don

 

I feel sorry for that truck driver. I see idiots like that everyday (thankfully not quite that dumb), and am just waiting for the day when I get into a bad collision with my truck and someone dies.

Just Tuesday I was almost in a head-on in my truck when an idiot in a minivan leaned over to his passenger side to get something and swerved right into my lane. Thankfully he realized just barely in time to swerve back. I locked up my brakes, but I was doing 55 (as I assume was he) fully loaded. I couldn't have avoided to the right or I would have hit an oak tree. It would have been really ugly. Scary.

 

Sadistic, aren't you?

I like you already.

 

LOL, I think he didnt mean like "hopping up in down and laughing with glee"

That sounds a little bit like what happened to me awhile back in my truck (except to a smaller scale) I had a load of gravel, and this guy in a toyota corolla just swerves into my lane, there was no where to go to the right, so I just hit the brakes and gripped the wheel. The guy finally figured out what was happening and swerved.. in time to flip me off on the way by.

Lets see 1970 Chevrolet 3/4 ton Camper Special VS Toyota Corolla... I would win, but it would still hurt alot.

I cant staaaand stupid drivers!

-Roshambo

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Joe
1988 Pontiac Trans Am WS6 - 305 TPI, 700R4, 3.23 Posi, Digital Dash, Leather Seats, Maui Blue with Silver GFX, T-tops, Tinted Glass, Gutted MAF, TB Coolant Bypass, K&N Cone Filter, 3" Summit Exhaust Cut-Out, 3" exhaust from Y-pipe back, MSD Super Coil, Accel 8mm wires, L98 Aluminum Heads, Ported and Polished Plenum, Siamesed Intake, Aluminum Driveshaft, Edelbrock 3 point Strut Tower Brace.

 

It's fun driving a loaded 70 chevy with "pray its going to stop" drum brakes aint it? The half tons i've had are even worse, i've missed my turn by 1/2 mile once with a load of wood. Just physically couldnt stop the truck. However everybody else seems to assume it should stop like their rice crap. You try to leave enough room ahead of you but someone always pulls in front, just in time for a stop light.

 

Yes, I am both quite sadistic and sarcastic, but in this case I was just meaning that I think that it is something that will eventually happen. I get into way to many close calls even though I drive very defensively.

 

Ohhhh yeah! 4 Wheel Drums baby!! I should convert my car, Id have the only 4 Wheel Drum equipped WS6!

One time I was driving the 70' and out of no where the rain turned into hail, and some idiot in a CRX decided he had just figured out where he needed to turn, so he slammed on his brakes, and I (knowing about lockup) hit my brakes lightly, it didnt matter, they locked up and then I got to dance with the truck. Very exciting! Who needs extreme sports anyways?

-Roshambo

 

LOL, yes it can get exciting in a hurry. Just changed my 70 over to front discs a couple months ago. It's a half ton and six lug so I had to buy special 6 lug rotors for it. Much safer! Finally decided to do it when I took a trip to Vale, Ore. Cars all stopped on the freeway and I had to hit the brakes and pray. Sideways at 75 isnt fun.