Monday morning commuters had ample reason to complain about “Mondays” when a wrecked semi truck on the Simpson Avenue Bridge held up traffic for more than two hours.
A main artery between Hoquiam and Aberdeen, the bridge was clogged by the wreck and restricted traffic to one lane, slowing the bridge to a crawl and bringing much of Hoquiam to a standstill.
Some residents reported traffic backed up to Lincoln Street and Grand Avenue.
The wrecked semi truck was hauling chips and pulling a trailer.
While crossing the bridge at about 8:30 a.m., the truck sideswiped the right guardrail and struck the end of a barrier, breaking the front axle, blowing out several tires and causing a diesel fuel leak.
“The driver was trying to stay over to the right and said the sun was in his face,” Hoquiam Police Chief Jeff Myers said.
The accident left the truck stuck against the side of the bridge and a commercial tow truck had to be called in from Shelton.
Downtown
In Hoquiam, tensions continued to escalate as drivers became impatient.
Commuters took to Facebook to complain about drivers speeding down side streets, horns were honking and at least one collision was caught on camera.
Levee Lumber Office Manager Mickey Thurman saw her 10-minute post office trip escalate into about 40 minutes (Thurman didn’t have to cross the bridge).
“Everything was fine until the guy behind me in a low boy truck got out to direct traffic,” Thurman said.
When he had cleared a congested intersection, he got back in his truck and drove around Thurman on the shoulder through the space he cleared, she said.
“One of the trucks he made back up had backed up into a car,” Thurman said.
At one point, cars were coming at her driving the wrong way.
“When I pulled into my parking spot, I was relieved to not have to go back out in that,” Thurman said.
At about 10:20 a.m., officers from the Hoquiam Police Department saw a red car traveling the wrong way down Riverside Avenue.
The vehicle had been driving the wrong way the entire distance of the street including Riverside Bridge, Myers said in a press release.
The driver said he “had to get to work” and said his “hazard lights were flashing,” according to the release.
A witness later contacted the department and provided a statement saying the red car was “weaving through traffic at oncoming vehicles down Riverside Avenue.”
The driver of the red car was cited for negligent driving in the second degree.
Removal
Two tow trucks arrived at the scene at about 10 a.m., one taking the chip trailer, and the other dislodging the truck and hauling it away.
HPD closed the bridge completely as the tow trucks did their work.
“We heard reports it took an hour to get through the traffic,” Myers said. “It certainly got worse once we had to close the bridge totally.”
The Hoquiam Fire Department determined the diesel spill did not reach the river.
Washington State Patrol commercial vehicle enforcement officers will conduct a safety inspection at the truck and trailer’s destination.
Initially, the police department estimated the roadway would be clear by noon, however, the state Department of Transportation reported the accident was clear at about 10:40 a.m.
With the truck cleared, HPD began moving traffic.
“Once both lanes were opened, we manually directed traffic downtown to help clear the backup quicker,” Myers said.
The truck driver received an infraction for “improper lane travel or use.”
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