SEATTLE — Southbound Interstate 5 reopened Monday at around 10 a.m. after being closed for nearly five hours following a multi-car crash that injured seven.
I-5 was closed just south of the Mercer Street exit, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) said Monday morning.
The Washington State Patrol (WSP) reported that there were multiple individuals injured from multiple vehicles in the crash. It was later confirmed that seven people were injured, and a driver was arrested on suspicion of DUI.
Troopers learned the causing vehicle was traveling the wrong way on I-5 at the time of the crash, however they did not know if the car got on using an on-ramp in the wrong direction or whether the driver made a u-turn while already on the road.
With heavy traffic expected across western Washington on Monday as people return home from their Labor Day Weekend plans, the crash caused significant delays on I-5. WSODT asked drivers to seek alternate routes, but cars that are using I-5 are being diverted to Mercer Street.
This isn't the first major morning closure in Seattle, as State Route 99 was completely closed northbound after the tunnel for a few hours due to a two-car crash.
WSDOT shared an update just after 6 a.m. that the backup was already extended back to State Route 520.
Between Friday and Saturday, Washington State Patrol officers responded to 70 crashes, made 14 DUI arrests and received 16 calls reporting aggressive driving.
Over Labor Day weekend in 2022, state troopers responded to a number of dangerous incidents in King County, including 21 DUI arrests, 448 speeding incidents and 118 collisions, with two fatal collisions. The agency also responded to 232 reports of aggressive driving and 60 incidents of distracted driving.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.