LYNNWOOD — A dump truck that slammed into a light pole near Lynnwood and snarled traffic Wednesday had no driver behind the steering wheel, officials said Thursday.
“It was a runaway truck,” Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Shari Ireton said.
Initial reports indicate that the truck driver parked his rig, put on the air brakes and walked away, Ireton said.
The truck started rolling down a hill and was headed toward the busy intersection of Highway 99 and 148th Street SW when it crashed into the pole, according to accident reports.
No one was hurt, but it could have been a dangerous situation had it not run into the pole, officials said.
Even though the truck didn’t end up in the middle of the thoroughfare, the accident did slow traffic for about 90 minutes.
Roughly 75 gallons of diesel fuel were spilled onto the street, said Leslie Hynes, a spokeswoman for Snohomish County Fire District 1.
Snohomish County public works crews joined firefighters in using sand and other materials to soak up the mess.
The crash happened at 10:23 a.m. Wednesday.
Some lanes of the highway were closed for the cleanup.
The accident remains under investigation.
Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446; stevick@heraldnet.com
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