MARYSVILLE – A five-vehicle accident on I-5 in Marysville Monday afternoon killed three Marysville residents and injured five other people, the Washington State Patrol reported.
Michael V. Martina / The Herald
The accident closed the northbound lanes for about five hours and backed up traffic for up to four miles south of the 116th Street NE interchange, the State Patrol said.
A green Ford F-350 pickup truck driven by William Murphy, 61, of Olympia and towing a 30-foot-long travel trailer southbound on I-5 went out of control at 2:24 p.m. and crossed into the northbound lanes, trooper Lance Ramsey said.
The pickup and trailer smashed into a silver Toyota Prius, then hit a red Ford Taurus before coming to rest upside-down across all three northbound lanes. The pickup and trailer also collided with a Chevrolet pickup and a Mazda pickup, causing only minor damage to both.
Killed in the Taurus were Darrell Knapp, 41, and Sandra Knapp, 42, both of Marysville, who died at the scene, and Noah Ringen, 7, of Marysville, who died later at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
Mark Leuning, 19, Eldon Leuning, 60, and Elwood Leuning, 87, all of Bothell, in the Prius were seriously injured and were taken to Providence Everett Medical Center’s Colby Campus.
Two people in the Ford pickup, including Murphy, sustained minor injuries, Ramsay said. Murphy was treated at the scene, the State Patrol said.
The State Patrol closed the northbound lanes immediately after the accident, backing up heavy Memorial Day traffic. Southbound traffic came to a crawl as drivers slowed while passing the accident scene.
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Michael V. Martina / The Herald
“It’s a tragic incident, no matter how you look at it,” said Ramsay, standing amid broken pieces of furniture and other objects.
The accident drew numerous onlookers.
“It’s a tragedy,” said Shawn Kauffman, 25, of Marysville.
Ahead of Kauffman, a broken white couch, cans and boxes of food, and shoes and sandals were scattered around the pickup and trailer. The mangled Prius and Taurus rested behind that wreckage.
“It’s pretty bad,” Kauffman said.
The cause of the accident is under investigation. It may take up to two months to complete the probe, Ramsay said.
The accident occurred about six months after a three-vehicle accident killed a woman and injured seven others on I-5 near Smokey Point. Both accidents happened after a vehicle broke through steel cables in the median that are meant to prevent vehicles from entering the oncoming lanes.
Ramsay said any improvements on the median will not happen immediately, and added that people need to improve their driving first.
“They are in the median because they are not paying attention. They are not focusing on driving,” he said.
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