Washington DOT Files $17 Million Lawsuit in Skagit Bridge Collapse
The Washington State Department of Transportation has filed a $17 million lawsuit against the motor carrier and driver involved in the 2013 Interstate 5 Skagit River bridge collapse, the Associated Press reported Feb 3.
The lawsuit, filed in Skagit County Superior Court, named several parties as responsible. They included William Scott, the truck driver whose oversize truck hit the bridge; the driver’s employer, Mullen Trucking LP; the pilot car driver, Tammy Detray, and her company, G&T Crawlers; and the owner of the metal shed being transported, Saxon Energy Services Inc., according to AP.
The crash caused a section of the bridge, located about 60 miles north of Seattle, to fall into the river, along with several vehicles. No fatalities were reported.
The bridge reopened in September 2013 after crews installed a new permanent span. The repair project was largely funded by a $15.6 million federal emergency transportation grant.
In its final report in August 2014, the National Transportation Safety Board said the probable causes of the crash included insufficient motor carrier route planning, a failure by a pilot/escort to warn of potential hazards and inadequate evaluation of oversize load permit requests by state officials.
