Drivers had to deal with a traffic mess early Tuesday morning (March 8) thanks to a speeding driver in Lakewood, KOMO says.
An unidentified driver was speeding just after midnight on the highway near the Gravelly Lake Drive exit until they crashed into the pole of a huge Interstate 5 sign bridge, causing it to fall into the road, according to Washington State Patrol trooper Robert Reyer.
"[The] vehicle left the roadway, striking one of the giant poles that hold up the signs on the freeway that let you know the milepost you’re at," Reyer explained.
"It spans all lanes of I-5 and the exit. It's an incredibly heavy structure. It's built tall enough to let all legal loads pass beneath it and hold large highway signs," according to WSDOT Tacoma.
The entire southbound lane was shut down as Department of Transportation crews worked to get it out of the way. They were able to move the downed structure to the side around 6 a.m., according to reporters.
"The sign bridge will temporarily remain at this location," transportation officials say. "We'll come back tonight to remove it."
Reyer says the sign hit a semi-truck but the driver wasn't injured. As for the driver who hit the sign, they reportedly got hurt and were cited for reckless driving.