SEATAC, Wash. — Four people were taken to the hospital, and all lanes of northbound I-5 near the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport were blocked early Monday after a multi-vehicle collision, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.
The crash happened just before 11 p.m. on Sunday night along Interstate 5 in SeaTac, just north of South 188th Street (exit 152).
According to a report released by the Washington State Patrol (WSP) on Monday morning, five cars were involved in the crash.
The report states that all five cars were heading north on the highway when a Toyota Corolla lost control and hit a Honda Fit.
The Toyota Corolla came to rest on the left shoulder of the highway and caught fire, while the Honda Fit ended up stopped in the middle of one of the lanes, where it was then hit by three other cars.
The report states that the driver of the Honda Fit, a 59-year-old man from Renton, was able to call for help before being taken to Harborview Medical Center by emergency responders.
The Toyota Corolla driver is facing charges of DUI and vehicular assault, according to the report.
There were three women in their early 20s in one of the cars that struck the Honda Fit, and all three women were taken to Valley Medical Center.
One of the other cars was carrying a family of four from Seattle, including a 12-year-old and a 10-year-old child. None of them was injured in the crash, WSP states.
The final car was driven by a 27-year-old man from Federal Way, who was injured and evaluated by medics at the scene, but not taken to the hospital.
The highway was closed for approximately four and a half hours while WSP troopers investigated the collision and cleaned up the wreckage.
All northbound vehicles were diverted to South 188th Street and Orillia Road while crews worked.
As of 4 a.m., backups were building as the Monday commute traffic began to trickle in. By 4:45 a.m., the backup was about 2 miles long, stretching back to SR 509. By 5:15 a.m., backups stretched back to near SR 516 - almost 3 miles.
At 5:30 a.m., four and a half hours after the crash, all lanes were reopened. Traffic slowly cleared throughout the morning commute.
©2026 Cox Media Group
