EVERETT, Wash. — Four drivers crashed into Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) work zones along Interstate 5 in less than 24 hours.
The first three collisions to occur on Monday all took place before 10 a.m., according to a post on WSDOT's Facebook page. The fourth collision occurred that afternoon.
Fortunately, no workers were injured in any of the crashes. One driver was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The collisions spanned from Vancouver in the south, up to Everett in the north.
"People. Can we stop this?" read WSDOT's Facebook post. "Slow down, move over, pay attention."
Collisions are usually tied to three major factors: vehicles following each other too closely, high speeds, and distracted driving, according to WSDOT. In addition to fatalities, the state agency said 28 other collisions left workers seriously injured last year, and dangerous driving continues to harm workers.
“In January, there was a collision down in Vancouver from a suspected DUI driver that sent six of our workers to the hospital. Just last month in Federal Way, there was a collision that sent three of our workers [to the hospital]," said WSDOT spokesperson Aisha Dayal. "These are things we want the public to know that’re happening far too often, and a lot of these collisions are avoidable.”
According to WSDOT data, there were 1,228 work zone crashes in 2023, 10 of which were fatal for the driver or passengers, and seven of which were linked to DUIs. Washington state averages almost 626 highway work zone injuries a year.
The department said the top three causes of work zone crashes include following too closely, speeding and distracted and inattentive driving.
There have been multiple WSDOT employees injured in work zone crashes in the first few months of this year.
Six workers were injured in a crash in Vancouver on Jan. 23. WSDOT said the crew had been on the scene for less than two minutes when a driver crashed into a work truck, sending that work truck crashing into the truck in front of it. The driver at fault was arrested by Washington State Patrol on suspicion of a DUI.
Another three WSDOT workers were sent to the hospital in March when a driver crashed into a work zone in Federal Way.