EVERETT — A Washington State Patrol trooper was taken to the hospital with minor injuries Wednesday after an early morning collision on the U.S. 2 trestle.
The two-car crash slowed westbound traffic on the thoroughfare for nearly three hours. That touched off a snarl that led to gridlock in Lake Stevens and parts of Marysville.
The accident blocked the right lane at Homeacres Road. It was reported around 5 a.m. and cleared a few minutes before 8 a.m., according to the state Department of Transportation.
Medical aid and the Washington State Patrol were called to the scene.
Trooper Mark Francis said the crash occurred when a Marysville man was driving his car too fast for conditions on his way to work.
The man, 51, reportedly jammed on his brakes, changed lanes and hit a guard rail and the trooper’s vehicle.
The Marysville man was not injured.
Both westbound lanes of U.S. 2 were closed at one point so the man’s car could be flipped back onto its wheels.
The trooper was taken to the hospital, but was cleared to return to work to finish his shift, Francis said.
The trooper, 33, has been with the Washington State Patrol for 10 years.
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