MOUNT VERNON, Wash. – A dump truck carrying gravel crossed the median of Interstate 5 in Mount Vernon on Saturday, injuring at least six people when it plowed into oncoming traffic that was stopped while police investigated an earlier shooting, authorities said.
Twenty-three vehicles were involved in the collision, and traffic backed up for miles as lanes were closed in both directions.
Injuries ranged from minor to critical. Two people were airlifted to a Seattle hospital, said Trooper Mark Francis of the Washington State Patrol.
The truck driver had a broken arm and chest injuries, and may have had a medical condition that caused the crash, Francis told KING-TV.
Authorities say the truck was hauling a mixture of clay and gravel and traveling southbound when it broke through a cable barrier in the median into the northbound lanes.