SEATTLE — A tour bus, empty except for the driver, went out of control on I-5 in the downtown area early Wednesday, killing the driver and blocking the southbound lanes for nearly three hours.
The freeway was cleared by the start of the morning rush hour, but commuters were in for more problems when the downtown transit bus tunnel was closed by a computer glitch for the second time in three days, forcing dozens of buses onto surface streets.
In addition, police said a sport utility vehicle ran a red light and collided with a streetcar on the newly opened South Lake Union route.
State Patrol investigators were trying to determine why R.J. Houchens, 51, of Issaquah, lost control of a Gray Line tour bus she was driving south on I-5 at 2:46 a.m. beneath the State Convention and Trade Center.
The bus scraped along the inside concrete wall before it slammed into a barrier, strewing metal debris across the roadway. Houchens died after being taken to Harborview Medical Center.
Southbound traffic was detoured off the freeway for a few blocks for nearly three hours.
The bus tunnel again fell prey to a computer failure in the system that controls ventilation, lighting, signals and other operations.
The tunnel was closed Monday afternoon by a similar breakdown. The problem was fixed in time for the tunnel to be reopened before the Tuesday morning commute but another breakdown occurred Wednesday.
North of the downtown area, one of the city’s new Lake Union trolleys collided with the SUV at an intersection. Police said the SUV driver was cited for running a red light and the streetcar returned to service with a slightly damaged bumper.
The 1.3-mile streetcar line opened one week earlier.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
