DUI Driver Crashes into Heavy Equipment with Radioactive Core

There was a ton of traffic this morning on eastbound SR-16 because of a radiation scare after an early morning crash into a construction zone.

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Washington State Patrol Troopers responded to the non-injury collision in a construction zone just after 12:45 AM. The good news is that no one was seriously hurt. The not-so-good news? The incident caused major backups and raised a few eyebrows after learning why crews took so long.

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DUI Driver Crashes into Construction Equipment with Radioactive Core

According to updates from Trooper John Dattilo, the crash occurred when a driver slammed into an active construction zone and ran into several construction vehicles. In the destruction, the driver also hit a piece of equipment that contained a radioactive core.

The “radioactive” device in question is used to measure the density of asphalt to ensure it meets safety standards. Basically, it helps confirm that the newly paved lanes are safe to drive on.

The driver responsible was arrested for DUI and transported to a local hospital.

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Safety Measures Put in Place and SR-16 Reopened

The Department of Health quickly evaluated the situation and deemed the equipment safe to remove. It’s already been properly packaged and cleared from the site. WSDOT and Hazmat crews also patched up some asphalt that was damaged during the crash.

Once emergency vehicles were out of the way, the eastbound lanes reopened.

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Drive safely and remember that people working in highway construction zones are there to improve the roads. Let’s keep them (and ourselves) safe by slowing down when driving near them.