(Photos courtesy Jared of Road Samaritan Towing)
Turns out there was a lot more to the story of the truck-trailer trouble that caused the massive, multi-hour traffic backup on the westbound Spokane Street Viaduct (and beyond) Monday afternoon. Having first noticed the scene on a drive back from the Eastside at 2:20 pm, thinking it would be clear soon since a flatbed tow trucks was there, we were surprised when notes started coming in two hours later about the worsening problem during afternoon rush hour, indicating it hadn’t yet been cleared. Then bits and pieces of information started emerging in comments – and with Jared of Road Samaritan Towing responding to our followup questions and request for photos, we have the full picture of what happened, stretching on into late-night hours! More photos ahead:
Jared said the operation ultimately involved 7 tow trucks. We asked how they all came to be involved. He began, “I happened to be headed west across the (bridge) a minute or two after the semi lost its axles. When I saw the semi blocking traffic, I decided to perform traffic control until SPD was on scene. GT Towing was called by the trucking company. When the owner of GT passed us heading east on the bridge, he called me and asked if I could stay and assist. Once GT was on scene, we determined a second heavy tow truck would be needed to lift the trailer from the rear, so GT called Gary’s Westside to assist. SPD closed westbound traffic so Gary’s could come up the Harbor Island exit and drive east down the westbound lanes. Gary’s picked the trailer up from the rear, and we attempted to move the semi with the tow truck being pulled backwards acting as the trailer’s wheels, but decided it was too risky.”
“With no other options, we used the GT truck to help the semi drag the wheel-less trailer across the bridge and down onto Spokane St, while I transported the ripped-out axle assembly on a flatbed. Once on Spokane St, we called out Hubie’s Towing to assist.”
“GT used two trucks to lift the trailer, we repaired portions of the damaged frame, and a combination of Gary’s and Hubie’s tow trucks positioned the axle assembly under the trailer’s chassis.”
“A total of 7 trucks were used over an 8-hour time frame and in the end the semi and trailer were able to drive away on their own. SPD was understanding of the situation and was very accommodating when it came to traffic control and closing lanes so we had space to position our trucks and work. We understand that traffic was horrible, and clearing the road as fast and safely as possible was a primary concern.”
Thanks to Jared for answering our request for photos – and telling the backstory too! P.S. In one of his comments on the original story, he mentioned the trailer was loaded with 70,000 pounds of frozen herring!
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