A lost mattress was believed to be the cause of a fatal accident on northbound I-5 in Mountlake Terrace Saturday morning. (Washington State Patrol)

A lost mattress was believed to be the cause of a fatal accident on northbound I-5 in Mountlake Terrace Saturday morning. (Washington State Patrol)

Mattress causes fatal crash, closing I-5 in Mountlake Terrace

Troopers were searching for a pickup truck that reportedly lost the mattress in the northbound lanes.

MOUNTLAKE TERRACE — A person died in a two-vehicle collision Saturday morning on northbound I-5 in Mountlake Terrace.

Northbound I-5 was fully closed at 220th Street SW for several hours while the Washington State Patrol investigated, said Trooper Jacob Kennett. The road was reopened around noontime.

“Just before the collision occurred,” at around 6:35 a.m., “an unknown truck lost a mattress in the roadway which was a major contributing factor in this incident,” Kennett wrote on Twitter. “The truck was reported to have pulled over to the right shoulder in the area of the incident.”

The driver of a silver sedan struck the mattress, causing the vehicle to swerve in front of a semi-truck. The driver of the silver sedan was killed. No one else was injured, Kennett said.

Police were still searching for the truck that lost the mattress. They believe it could be an older, dark-blue pickup truck with wood paneling. To report a tip to WSP, call 360-654-1204.

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