Three Hurt In Chain-Reaction Collision Traffic Snarled For Hours After Two Rush-Hour Accidents On Interstate 90

Wed., June 24, 1998

By Robin Rivers robinr@spokesman.com

Two rush-hour accidents on Interstate 90 left at least three people hospitalized and traffic backed up for hours Tuesday.

At about 4:45 p.m., a semitruck plowed into eastbound traffic near the Freya exit, causing a five-car pileup. Three people were injured.

Just after 6 p.m., an accident involving at least three cars slowed westbound traffic near the Argonne exit.

In the first accident, Ehren Lawhead was in a pickup heading east on I-90 when rush-hour traffic slowed to a crawl.

As Lawhead slowed, a semitruck collided with his pickup and three other cars, blocking eastbound traffic for about two hours, the Washington State Patrol said.

“I looked up in the rearview mirror and saw the semi,” Lawhead said. “Glass was shooting everywhere and I saw an Audi fly through the air.”

Troopers said the driver of the semitruck failed to slow down in time and hit the cars ahead of him, causing a chain reaction.

At least three people, including Lawhead’s co-worker who was riding with him, were hospitalized. Their names and conditions were unavailable Tuesday night.

Lloyd Andrews was driving the Audi that Lawhead saw in his rearview mirror.

The Green Bluff resident said while he was stopped in traffic his car was tapped from behind by a Volkswagen Rabbit driven by Jason Burke, and sent flying into the median by the semi.

“Thank God for this,” he said pointing to the center median. “I would have gone into oncoming traffic without it.”

He walked away from the accident uninjured.

Burke, who also wasn’t hurt, remembered seeing the semitruck come up on his car quickly before sending it airborne and into the median.

“It was very fast,” he said. “I looked up and knew I was going to be struck.”

The truck driver, who would not give his name, said he was traveling to Calgary, Alberta, after making a delivery in Pasco.

He said he saw the traffic slow just in time to hit the brakes, but couldn’t stop soon enough.

A Washington State Patrol investigation into both crashes continues.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.