Thousands of drivers on I-5 South in Seattle faced the hell of all commutes yesterday morning when traffic was backed up for five miles. The backup was the result of a huge, fiery FedEx truck crash that took place at around 4:30 AM. The truck had two trailers, both of which were empty. The trailers jackknifed when the truck driver slammed on his brakes to avoid running into the vehicle driving in front of him.
It was reported by troopers that the driver was most likely driving too fast for the wet conditions of the road. Despite one of the trailers tipping and the cab of the semi being crushed into a guardrail by the other one, the driver was not injured. The cab caught fire as a result of the fuel line opening, as did one of the trailers.
As a result of the crash, all southbound lanes of I-5 between the Convention Center and Interstate 90 were closed for hours. At around 9 AM, two lanes were opened, but not before the traffic ruined tons of commutes. Drivers rushed to detours and alternate routes like SR 99, backing things up on those roads as well. Lanes on I-5 were closed for over eight hours total.