LAKE STEVENS — A dump truck accident Thursday morning sent one man to the hospital, spilled gallons of diesel into a ditch and closed a section of Highway 92 just east of Lake Stevens.
The accident, which also involved a pickup, occurred during the morning commute.
The dump truck was eastbound on Highway 92 and a red Ford pickup was westbound when the pickup crossed over the centerline, the Washington State Patrol reported.
The dump truck driver, James Wallis, 61, of Lake Stevens, said he tried to avoid a head-on collision but couldn’t. The collision pushed his rig into the ditch.
“I’m sore, stiff and jittery, but considering what happened I’m OK,” Wallis said.
“He came right over the line and ran right into me,” Wallis said. “I hope he’s all right. When he first came across the line, I tried to get out of his way.”
The pickup driver was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. The extent of his injuries was not immediately available.
The pickup’s driver had to be extricated from the wreckage by firefighters using hydraulic rescue tools, Lake Stevens Fire Battalion Chief Travis Hots said.
His injuries were considered life threatening, Hots said.
According to the State Department of Ecology, 65 gallons of diesel fuel spilled into the roadside ditch near the collision but went no further. A cleanup crew was dispatched to remove the fuel-contaminated soil.
The accident is the third major collision along the same stretch of Highway 92 over the last two months, said Wayne Aukerman, a traffic officer for the Lake Stevens Police Department.
Highway 92 was closed for nearly four hours while the accident was investigated and debris removed.
Reporter Justin Arnold: 425-339-3432 or jarnold@heraldnet.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.