Plymouth, Washington – Multiple Crashes on Interstate 82, Umatilla Bridge

Plymouth, Washington (December 16, 2019) – Two incidents of vehicle pileups involving a total of twenty-three vehicles occurred on Umatilla Bridge on Monday morning. There were responders on the scene due to reported injuries, but there have been no reports of significant injuries.

The  incident involved a fifteen-vehicle pileup on the Oregon side of the bridge and an eight-vehicle pileup on the Washington side of the bridge. The incident was caused by freezing fog at the time of the accident. The crash caused Interstate 82 to be temporarily closed for a time.

About Vehicle Accidents

Vehicle accidents are common and may happen more frequently than you think. In 2017, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT)  have reported a total of 120, 993 car accidents. Of those accidents, 525 were fatal ad 34, 311 were possible or suspected of injuries. Pileups usually begin with a rear-end collision, also said to be the most common type of car accident. Like many other vehicle accidents, rear-end collisions often happen because of lapse of attention, usually when one vehicle follows another too closely. Injuries associated with rear-end collisions are whiplash, because the impact usually jerks the upper body forward. Other injuries include broken bones, head and spinal injuries, as well as wrist fractures.

Multiple vehicle collisions, also called pileups, are among the most dangerous types of crash situations. In this particular accident, three cars are reported to be involved, but pileups have been known to involve up to hundreds of vehicles at once and cause many types of injuries as well as fatalities. The most common cause for pileups seem to be bad weather which either obscure the vision of drivers or cause slippery roads, such as fog, heavy rain and snowstorms. As always, we urge all drivers to be wary while behind the wheel, especially in heavy traffic or unfavorable weather conditions. A single moment of carelessness can lead to an accident with dreadful consequences.

[cta]