Driver charged in fiery I-5 wreck
Published 9:00 pm Thursday, December 18, 2003
LYNNWOOD — The driver of a tanker truck that exploded at the 44th Avenue W. overpass July 12 has been charged with reckless driving.
Gary M. Brammer, 33, of Puyallup allegedly fell asleep and crashed into the overpass guardrail, igniting 11,300 gallons of gasoline, according to a State Patrol accident report.
The accident closed I-5 for about 18 hours and caused more than $1 million in damage, making it the most expensive highway accident in state history.
"Brammer’s thoughtless, unwise and irresponsible actions jeopardized many lives, including his own … It is remarkable no one was killed or injured in a collision of this magnitude," the report says.
Brammer was making his second fuel delivery of the day to the Marysville Wal-Mart. He told investigators he knew he was tired and decided to turn around near Lynnwood, the report says.
"He figured he couldn’t make it," State Patrol Trooper Lance Ramsay said.
He was driving back to the Harris Transportation office in Tukwila when a co-worker saw him and told him he might get in trouble if he didn’t make the delivery, the report says. Brammer then turned around again and drove north.
Witnesses told the State Patrol that Brammer appeared to be asleep and was hunched over the steering wheel before the crash. One driver honked her horn to try to wake Brammer and warn other drivers.
Brammer shook his head and woke up, and then fell asleep again, she told the State Patrol.
After the tanker crashed and overturned, Brammer told several people at the scene that he’d fallen asleep, the report says. State Patrol investigators found no evidence he’d tried to stop or swerve before the crash.
Brammer had just enough time to scramble out and run away before the explosion.
Brammer was cited last week by the State Patrol. He’ll be arraigned in South District Court in Lynnwood Monday.
The gross misdemeanor carries a maximum penalty of up to one year in jail and a $5,000 fine.
Reporter Katherine Schiffner: 425-339-3436 or schiffner@heraldnet.com.
