Driver hospitalized, diesel fuel spills in semi rollover on I-90 near Spokane

SPOKANE, Wash. — All lanes of I-90 have reopened, according to the Washington Department of Transportation.

WSDOT wrote the crash took more than 10 hours to clean up.

Updated at 9:30 p.m.

A semi-truck rollover on Interstate 90 near the Latah Creek Bridge brought traffic to a standstill Wednesday morning, stranding drivers for hours as crews worked to clear debris scattered across the freeway.

The crash occurred underneath the train tracks on I-90 near Highway 195. According to the Spokane Fire Department, firefighters assessed the driver, who was transported to the hospital in good condition.

The accident damaged the truck’s fuel tank, resulting in a spill of approximately 80 gallons of diesel fuel on the freeway. The Spokane Fire Department said firefighters contained the spill with absorbent material and referred further cleanup to road crews. The Washington State Patrol is leading the investigation into the accident.

Traffic backups stretched for miles as crews worked to move the damaged truck and clean up debris and fuel. Drivers reported commute times of up to 40 minutes to travel from the Sunset Bridge to Lincoln Street in downtown Spokane — a distance of just over one mile.

“It took us quite a while even to go around. I believe there are only two ways to get to Spokane from that direction,” said Jeff Pastian, one of the drivers caught in the backup.

Pastian described the conditions as the worst he had experienced since moving to Spokane.

“This is probably the worst I’ve seen it so far since I’ve been here in Spokane. When we were trying to get on the freeway, it was backed up all the way down the hill, so we had to actually back up off of the on ramp to go around,” Pastian said.

Several lanes remained closed as of Wednesday afternoon. Authorities advised drivers to avoid the area if possible while crews continue their work. No estimated time for full reopening of all lanes has been announced.