SEATTLE — Two people were rescued from a burning vehicle by a Sound Transit crew after it flipped into a construction zone on Interstate 5 and caught fire Friday morning, according to the Washington State Patrol.
A passenger van traveling northbound on I-5 flipped and entered the construction zone, located north of NE Northgate Way, just before 9:30 a.m., the Washington State Patrol said.
Washington State Department of Transportation and Sound Transit crews working at the site pulled the two occupants out from the burning van before first responders arrived, according to the Seattle Fire Department.
The Sound Transit contractor crew works for Stacy and Witbeck/Kiewit/Hoffman, JV. The company identified the employees as Matt Tannahill, construction manager, Jeffrey Mikeska, carpenter foreman, and Colton Ward, field engineer.
The Washington State Patrol said the men were conscious and alert but injured. They were transported to the hospital with serious burns.
The accident closed up to four northbound lanes on I-5 as first responders worked at the scene. The Washington State Department of Transportation said northbound traffic was backed up for four miles at one point.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Download our free KING 5 app to stay up-to-date on news stories from across western Washington.