Wildfire smoke to blame for I-90 pileup near Vantage
Washington State Patrol photos show the extent of and damage caused by a 25-vehicle injury collision near noon on Thursday, July 17, in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 90 on Ryegrass Pass, 10 miles west of Vantage. There were 16 passenger vehicles and nine commercial vehicles involved. A total of 13 people were injured, Nine were transported by ambulance to Quincy Valley Medical Center and one was transported to Kittitas Valley Healthcare in Ellensburg. The crash was so immense that the WSP hadn't prepared a full report by Monday morning. One factor was poor visibility in the area caused by…
VANTAGE - Blowing dust, smoke and ash from nearby wildfires caused a 25-vehicle pileup Thursday morning on Interstate 90 about 10 miles west of Vantage, leaving 13 people injured.
I-90 East, from the Vantage bridge to Kittitas, remained closed overnight and into Friday due to high winds and poor visibility. Wind gusts continued to kick up dust from a brush fire that burned out Tuesday, July 15, according to the state Department of Transportation.
I-90 West was also closed for about two hours Thursday due to poor visibility and reopened about 1 p.m.
The pileup happened just before 11 a.m. near Rye Grass Pass and involved 16 cars and nine commercial vehicles, according to Trooper Darren Wright. Several of the 13 injured reportedly suffered serious injuries, but no deaths were reported.
Nine of the injured were transported by ambulance to Quincy Valley Medical Center. One was transported to Kittitas Valley Healthcare in Ellensburg. No drugs or alcohol are believed to be involved.
Strong winds leading to poor visibility are being blamed for the crash but it was not yet known how the pileup started. The state Department of Ecology Spill Response Team also responded to the incident but it is unclear if cleanup was required
The State Patrol Criminal Investigation Division is investigating.
More information will be released following the investigation.