Icy road conditions trigger 38-vehicle pileup
No serious injuries were reported in the 38-vehicle pileup on I-90 Wednesday morning, but the road was closed for about 10 hours.
Royal Slope Fire and Rescue/courtesy photo
RYEGRASS — A truck that lost control on Interstate 90 started a chain reaction that resulted in a 38-vehicle pileup about 14 miles west of Vantage early Wednesday morning. The freeway was closed for about 10 hours.
There were no serious injuries, according to a press memo from the Washington State Patrol.
The pileup occurred about 5:15 a.m., the memo said. Jose Palacios, 51, Yakima, was driving east when his semi lost traction and slid to a stop, blocking all eastbound lanes, it said.
There was dense fog and the road was icy in places.
The initial accident caused multiple collisions behind it, eventually involving 20 cars and 18 trucks, the press memo said. The road was closed until about 4 p.m.
Palacios was cited for driving too fast for the road conditions.