A major roadway in an area south of Seattle, Washington, was closed down Thursday after a crash involving equipment with a radioactive core.
The initial incident happened just before 1:00 a.m. when a suspected DUI driver smashed into a construction zone on State Route 16 in Gig Harbor, King 5 reported.
The driver hit a truck carrying an instrument with a radioactive core, the News Tribune reported, and Washington State Patrol Trooper John Dattilo told the outlet that the device measures the density of asphalt to ensure safety.
Officials shut down the roadway for seven hours and reopened it around 8:00 a.m. after a HAZMAT response at the scene.
The term HAZMAT is an abbreviated version of “hazardous materials,” according to the NOAA’s website.
HAZMAT refers to “substances in quantities or forms that may pose a reasonable risk to health, property, or the environment. HAZMATs include such substances as toxic chemicals, fuels, nuclear waste products, and biological, chemical, and radiological agents. HAZMATs may be released as liquids, solids, gases, or a combination or form of all three, including dust, fumes, gas, vapor, mist, and smoke,” the site read.
Video footage shows the major traffic jam that resulted from the crash, with cars sitting bumper to bumper on the road. The King 5 report noted a bomb squad was at the scene but locals were not in danger:
“No construction workers were hurt in the crash. The driver was taken to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, the King 5 article read. “The westbound lanes are not impacted. Gig Harbor Fire said additional details about the incident will be released at a later time.”
Dattilo shared a photo taken at the scene:
In a social media post on Thursday morning, KIRO Newsradio Traffic said listeners wanted to know why it took so long for officials the handle the “very unique radioactive material” after the crash:
“WSP says workers had to wait for Dept of Health to deliver the necessary equipment to test if it damaged equipment was save to move. Sometimes it just takes time,” its post concluded.
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