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High-speed crash near Southcenter involves 8 vehicles, I-5 blocked for 5 hours

High-speed crash near Southcenter involves 8 vehicles, I-5 blocked for 5 hours

A multi-vehicle crash on northbound Interstate 5 near Southcenter blocked the freeway for about five hours Saturday night, according to the Washington State Patrol.

The crash happened just before 9:50 p.m. near milepost 154.

Troopers say a 20-year-old man from Algona was driving at a high rate of speed when he rear-ended another vehicle, setting off a chain reaction involving at least eight vehicles.

After striking the first vehicle, the driver lost control of his car, which spun and hit a motorcycle.

The rider was ejected and landed on the left shoulder of the freeway.

That same vehicle then hit another car in the HOV lane, which was pushed into the next lane and collided with two more vehicles.

Meanwhile, the original vehicle that was hit ended up striking another car.

One additional vehicle was reportedly hit by an unknown vehicle in an unknown lane, adding to the confusion and complexity of the scene.

The crash caused a significant traffic backup as lanes remained blocked for about five hours while troopers investigated and cleared the scene.

The driver of the speeding vehicle was cited for disregarding the safety of others.

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