Car is folded in half and crushed underneath semi — and driver survives, WA police say

A car was hit from behind and folded in half — then a semi crushed it, Washington police said.

The driver survived with only minor injuries, Washington State Patrol public information officer Rocky Oliphant said.

“There’s really not a word to describe this collision. Miraculously believed to be minor injuries,” Oliphant said on Twitter. “In my 14 year career, I have never seen anything like it.”

The Nissan Altima was on the I-5 Skagit River Bridge in Mount Vernon on Tuesday, Nov. 16, when it was struck from behind, Oliphant said. The semi-truck came to a stop on top of the car, crushing it underneath.

The person was stuck in the crushed car because traffic on the bridge was causing the semi-truck to move, Oliphant said.

“Both NB and SB lanes were closed due to the collision being on the bridge and a person still in the vehicle that was resting under a semi truck,” Oliphant said. “Traffic was causing the bridge to move and the semi was unstable.”

A tow lifted the front end of the semi-truck off the car, allowing the bridge to reopen to traffic, Oliphant said.

Oliphant told KOMO News the semi-truck driver was fined $189 after getting cited for “following too closely.”

This story was originally published November 17, 2021 at 8:53 AM with the headline "Car is folded in half and crushed underneath semi — and driver survives, WA police say."