Chain-reaction crashes close snowy Highway 395 for 7 hours

Troopers say distracted driving is to blame for a five-vehicle crash Wednesday night that closed part of Highway 395 for nearly seven hours.

A semi truck that ended up sliding on its side started the chain-reaction collision on the highway, seven miles north of Connell. It happened in Adams County near the Franklin County line.

The northbound lanes were closed while crews cleared debris. The highway opened back up just after 2 a.m. Thursday, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.

Three of the drivers and one passenger suffered minor injuries and were taken to area hospitals. Another driver was injured but was not transported, the Washington State Patrol reported.

The area between Ritzville and Connell was covered with some snow at the time of the crash.

Stephan W. Meuchel, 44, of Longview, was traveling north at milepost 63 when his truck hauling freight left the roadway.

He overcorrected, which caused his truck and trailer to tip over and slide, the state patrol’s report said.

A semi pulling two trailers, driven by a 75-year-old Kennewick man, then struck Meuchel’s trailer and drove through it.

A third semi with a trailer also hit Meuchel’s trailer.

Troopers say a Nissan Altima then swerved to miss the collision scene and was hit from behind by a Dodge R35. That sent the Dodge into another semi trailer.

In the end, Meuchel’s truck came to rest on its top on the northbound right shoulder, while the remaining four vehicles and trailers were still in the highway lanes.

The state patrol report said the crash was caused by inattention, adding that drugs or alcohol were not believed to be involved.

Meuchel will be charged with second-degree negligent driving, the report said.

The highway closure created a long backup of semi trucks other vehicles Wednesday night. Traffic was re-directed from Muse Road to Folkes Road to Highway 26.

Trooper Jeff Sevigney told the Tri-City Herald that “general freight boxes” were spilled in the crash, but did not have details about what was in the boxes. He added that it was nothing hazardous.

The debris required an “extensive bit of cleanup,” said Sevigney.

Troopers were assisted at the scene by Lind and Connell firefighters, Adams County sheriff’s deputies and Washtucna paramedics.

WSDOT lifted the highway alert at 2:10 a.m.

This story was originally published October 21, 2020 at 9:13 PM.