Workers clear crash that blocked southbound I-5 lanes in Seattle

Traffic backed up Thursday morning on southbound Interstate 5 in downtown Seattle near Mercer Street after a car crashed into a motorcycle.

Both motorists were heading south when the driver of the car, a 23-year-old man from Lake Forest Park, merged right and hit the motorcycle, driven by a 27-year-old man from Federal Way, around 4:40 a.m., according to the State Patrol.

The motorcyclist was thrown from his bike.

The motorcycle rider was taken to Harborview Medical Center, said State Patrol Trooper Rick Johnson. The extent of his injuries is unknown.

The roadway was closed for over four hours after the crash, the State Patrol said. It was cleared shortly after 9 a.m. Thursday, the Washington State Department of Transportation said on X.

The left two lanes and right two lanes were blocked, according to WSDOT's real-time travel map. Multiple agencies responded.

Drugs and alcohol were not involved, the Patrol said.

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This story was originally published April 30, 2026 at 9:38 AM.