March 30th, 2010 | 
Author: CHEHALIS, WA – Four semi tractor trailer trucks crashed Thursday morning, March 24, 2010 shutting down a major highway in Washington State. The truck accident happened on Interstate 5 in Lewis County near the city of Chehalis. The accident area is south of Olympia in the west central section of the state, 89 miles south of Seattle, WA and 86 miles north of Portland, Oregon.
Highway crews worked about three hours untangling the wreckage of the four truck accident. None of the trailer trucks overturned and no cargo was lost during the truck collision. There were also no reports of diesel fuel spilling out onto the roadway.
The truck accident occurred early Thursday morning as a semi truck was traveling southbound on Interstate 5, in the right lane of the highway. It was raining heavily at the time and visibility was limited.
As the trailer truck moved through the area near mile marker 62, about six miles south of the U.S. Highway 12 juncture, the truck driver began to reduce the speed of his rig due to the poor visibility. A second trailer truck following behind the first truck was unable to slow down to avoid an accident and rear-ended the first semi truck.
The truck accident left the two 18 wheelers disabled and blocking all lanes of the interstate. A third semi trailer truck driven by Ronald Panse of Winston, OR, came upon the accident scene and the driver went off the interstate into the mud on the side of the road when he maneuvered his rig to avoid hitting the two crashed trucks.
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A fourth semi truck reached the truck accident scene and tried to swerve around, smashing into the interstate’s Jersey barrier on the side of the roadway.
Local emergency personnel responded to the truck accident scene and offered assistance to the drivers. Mr. Panse, the driver of the third semi, suffered injuries in the multi truck collision and was transported to Centralia Providence Hospital in Centralia, about 6 miles away. His injuries were reportedly minor and not life threatening.
Washington State Patrol troopers were also at the scene of the multi truck accident. They helped to control traffic and reroute it around the collision site so officers could reconstruct the accident.
STREET VIEW
Highway crews worked about three hours untangling the wreckage of the four truck accident. None of the trailer trucks overturned and no cargo was lost during the truck collision. There were also no reports of diesel fuel spilling out onto the roadway.
One of the semi cabs involved in the truck accident bore the logo of Lange Trucking, Inc., of Oakland, California. It is unclear where it was in the crash sequence, but the Lange truck appears to have severe damage and a crushed front section.
Interstate 5 would remain closed for more than three hours.
Authorities believe weather was a factor in the multi truck accident, although they are looking to see if the driver of the second truck was traveling too close for conditions.
No citations have been made at this time and the truck accident remains under investigation.
For more information about Washington trucking laws, truck injury causes and victims rights, contact an experienced Washington truck accident lawyer. For a free initial consultation, contact a nationwide truck accident attorney at Gordon, Elias & Seely LLP for expert advice.
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