WSP working to reduce deadly I-90/I-82 collisions

ELLENSBURG, Wash. — For the past few years, traffic accidents -- including fatalities -- have been increasing along two busy stretches of freeway in Kittitas County. As a result, Washington State Patrol troopers from all over the central and eastern parts of the state were out in force Wednesday, educating drivers on the hazards.

The worst problem areas, according to WSP Sgt Barry Pilkinton, are along I-90 near Ellensburg and on I-82, which heads southeast into Yakima. On I-82 in particular, a steep hill raises the danger for truckers and the drivers around them.

According to the WSP, from Snoqualmie Pass to Yakima, and especially near Manatash Ridge Road on I-82, motor vehicle collisions increased 21% between 2016 and 2017.

Among commercial vehicles, collisions went up nearly 50% during the same time period.

"We really need to focus on this and try to reduce these collisions," Pilkinton told KIRO 7.

The WSP Commercial Vehicle Division was recently awarded a federal grant to help reduce collisions in the area because of the many recent accidents, including one in September that killed a woman and her granddaughter.

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Two weeks later, back-to-back crashes involving at least three semitrucks, shut down westbound I-90 east of Snoqualmie Pass.

Semitrucks are a major reason for concern along I-82 to Yakima, where a steep grade on the two-lane freeway forces big rigs to drive very slowly, sometimes as much as 40 mph below the speed limit.

"In the right lane, there are slow-moving trucks, and when another truck comes up to another slower moving truck, then tend to move into the left lane, which causes an immediate slowdown" Pilkinton explained. "We're really trying to educate people today on the hazards of the slow-moving trucks."

As part of the emphasis, more than a dozen WSP troopers patrolled I-90 and I-82, surrounding Ellensburg Wednesday. Instead of issuing citations, most troopers simply warned drivers about the dangers of following too closely, speeding, cellphone use, center-line and seatbelt violations, defective equipment and load securement.

Even though it was a one-day emphasis, the Washington State Patrol is committed to bringing collisions in the area down by 20% which is why three additional troopers have been added to the area full-time.

Cox Media Group