Odd confrontation causes commotion in Smokey Point

Highway 531 just west of I-5 was shut down for a while Monday night for an incident that drew a large response from police and fire crews.

It was a lot of lights and sirens, but it sounds like everyone involved needed a chill pill more than they needed an ambulance.

The incident initially was reported about 7:30 p.m. as a major collision along Highway 531, but it ended up being a strange apparent road-rage confrontation at the top of the northbound I-5 off-ramp. That area sits at a criss-cross of police and fire jurisdictions so it took awhile to run down the details. No serious injuries were reported.

Here’s what investigators believe happened, according to Washington State Patrol trooper Keith Leary:

A Dodge Dakota pickup truck was stopped at the red light, in the left turn lane, about to head west on Highway 531.

A Dodge Durango, driven by a 46-year-old Arlington woman, was stopped behind the truck. The woman was accompanied by a 44-year-old man in the passenger seat.

The woman said the truck driver was revving his engine and his truck rolled back into her Durango.

Her passenger got out and confronted the truck driver.

The truck driver got out of his vehicle, and the argument escalated. The passenger thought the truck driver was drunk and tried to get the truck keys but couldn’t find any.

The truck driver then “pulled out what was described as a pocket knife and made a slashing motion at the passenger. The passenger received a small cut to the finger as a result. He was treated at the scene,” Leary said.

“The passenger then grabbed a bike out of the rear of the truck and carried it to the front of the truck in an attempt to stop the man from driving. The driver disregarded this, stuck the knife in the ignition, started the truck, then drove over the bike and continued westbound on SR-531,” Leary said.

The suspect is described only as a white male.

Investigators are asking for anyone who may have witnessed the incident to call 360-654-1204.