Driver on cell phone triggers morning crash

MOUNTLAKE TERRACE — A man trying to talk on his cell phone is blamed for a head-on collision on I-5 Wednesday that snarled the morning commute.

The crash occurred just before 8 a.m. when a Lynnwood man, 29, was headed north on I-5 just north of the King County line, Washington State Patrol trooper Keith Leary said. The man attempted to put his phone in speaker mode, lost control of his car, jumped the median and collided with a southbound car moving at slow speeds in heavy traffic.

Police and emergency crews blocked four southbound lanes for about 30 minutes tending to the accident.

"It took a toll on our commute," Leary said.

The collision injured three people who were taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with non-life threatening injuries as a precaution.

"Don’t use your cell phone while driving," Leary said. "This is a perfect example of what happens when not paying 100 percent attention while on the road."

It is against the law in Washington to drive while using a cellphone, except for phones equipped with hands-free devices.