SHINE — A Port Ludlow woman died late Thursday afternoon in a six-vehicle collision on the two-lane Hood Canal Bridge, closing the bridge for eight hours beginning at about 5 p.m., the State Patrol said.
Debra S. Clyde, 65, of Port Ludlow was dead at the scene after her vehicle was hit head-on, State Patrol spokeswoman Krista Hand said in a press memo early this morning.
Driver Eric J. Thompson, 47, who allegedly initiated the chain of wrecks, was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where he is in serious condition, a hospital spokeswoman said this morning.
Hand said Thompson had been reported to be driving erratically while travelling eastbound before the collisions occurred at about 5:09 p.m. Thursday west of the center point of the 7,900-foot span, the world’s longest saltwater floating bridge.
The five other drivers were travelling westbound.
The State Patrol is investigating the involvement of drugs or alcohol.
Driver Bosha Y. Haslakiewicz-Kuan, 45, of Houston, Texas, was transported to Jefferson Healthcare hospital, where she was treated and released, a spokeswoman said.
Drivers Timothy M. Fiedler, 52, of Chimacum; Lee H. Wachendorf, 40, of Neah Bay, David G. Wendell, 65, of Poulsbo, and a passenger in Wendell’s vehicle, Kristina D. Fountain, 71, of Poulsbo, were not injured, Hand said.
The State Patrol said the crashes began after Thompson crossed the center line into oncoming traffic in the westbound lane and sideswiped Fiedler’s Kenworth construction truck.
Thompson then struck Wendell’s GMC Envoy SUV as Wendell attempted to move to the shoulder of the road to avoid the collision.
Wendell’s vehicle was totalled.
Thompson continued eastbound in the westbound lane and struck Clyde’s Ford Ranger pickup head-on, totalling the vehicle.
Clyde’s vehicle rotated toward the bridge barrier on the westbound shoulder and was struck by Haslakiewicz-Kuan’s four-door Hyundai, which was totalled.
Thompson then struck Haslakiewicz-Kuan’s Hyundai before rotating and striking Wachendorf’s four-door Mazda, which was totalled.
All the drivers and the passenger were wearing seat belts.
East Jefferson Fire Rescue sent two ambulances and an engine from Quilcene were sent to assist at the scene that was coordinated by Poulsbo Fire Department.
Emergency personnel created a landing zone on the highway just west of the bridge to evacuate the injured.
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 55650, or at pgottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
