SEATTLE, WA : Suspected drunk woman crashes into cop car on I-5; semi jackknifes on Friday, 2nd September 2016
A suspected drunk driver blew right through a road block on Interstate 5 overnight and smashed into a King County deputy's patrol car with such force that it was pushed 60 feet forward along the freeway, officials said.
The driver, a 31-year-old woman with two previous DUI arrests on her record, was taken into custody at the scene. The deputy inside the car sustained a few cuts and bruises but is expected to be OK.
Minutes later a semi truck jackknifed in the same area of I-5, causing a backup that led to two other accidents with unknown injuries. A trooper at the scene described the series of crashes as a "nightmare."
The mayhem unfolded at around 1 a.m. Friday as state troopers responded to an earlier accident on southbound I-5 at Columbian Street, the Washington State Patrol reported.
A King County sheriff's deputies stopped at the accident scene to assist, but before he could exit the patrol car, the suspected drunk woman plowed through the road block and crashed into the deputy's vehicle.
She was arrested after officers found evidence that she had been drinking and was impaired by alcohol, officials said.
Officials say the woman narrowly missed other deputies and state troopers at the scene who had responded to the earlier accident.
"Another deputy was talking at the driver's side door (and she) narrowly missed hitting him," said Sgt. Patrick McCurdy of the King County Sheriff's Office. "It pushed the police car more than 60 feet forward, her speed was so significant."
Records show this was the woman's third DUI arrest. The second one was just one month ago in Spokane.
Shortly after she hit the patrol car, a semi truck on the eastbound West Seattle Bridge to I-5 south jackknifed, causing further headaches and backups.
At least two other injury accidents followed as drivers were caught off guard by the backup and crashed.
"It's a nightmare here," one trooper at the scene told 911 dispatchers.
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Suspected drunk woman crashes into cop car on I-5; semi jackknifes