Taco truck on I-5 in Seattle serves lunch to stranded drivers

When Interstate 5 traffic came to an actual standstill Monday afternoon -- the result of a crash involving an overturned tanker truck -- a local taco truck started serving food on I-5 near the old Rainier Brewery.

“It was a mess but we made the best of it!” said Rachael McQuade, who took pictures of the Tacos El Tajin truck in the northbound lanes. “Nice people all around.”

KIRO 7 called the truck, and staff said they couldn’t talk for long: There were loads of people getting food.

The crash happened about 10:10 a.m. Monday, and by lunchtime the taco truck that is usually serving around South Lake Union was in full swing.

“I saw people walking back to their cars with to go boxes,” McQuade said in a message. “The truck was about eight cars in front of me."

She made it off I-5 after about 5 hours, having found a place to back up and turn around to take the West Seattle Bridge exit. But others weren’t as lucky. At 3 p.m. the backup continued for miles with no estimated reopening time.

Follow this link for the latest updates on the I-5 closure in Seattle.

KIRO 7 assignment editor Meredith Maimone contributed to this report.

Cox Media Group