Semi truck crashes on I-90, spills 100 gallons of fuel

A semi truck crashed on westbound I-90, spilling more than 100 gallons of fuel on the roadway in East Bellevue. The crash occurred at 3:30 a.m. Friday morning and ended with the truck skidding off the freeway onto city streets.

Two men were arrested after a semi truck crashed on westbound I-90, spilling more than 100 gallons of fuel on the roadway in East Bellevue.

The crash occurred at 3:30 a.m. Friday morning on the off ramp of 150th Avenue Southeast, said Washington State Patrol Trooper Julie Startup. The truck hit the barrier on the ramp and skidded for a “couple of miles” before coming to a stop near a residence on Southeast 34th Street.

The crash caused the truck to lose its right front tire, and the right file line was punctured as well, Startup said.

“It began drivingg down the road leaving a nice little groove with the right rim and spraying fuel all over,” she said.

The truck was carrying heavy engine parts or semi truck parts, Startup said.

The two men in the truck attempted to flee the scene, but thanks to a witness report, they were apprehended by troopers a couple blocks away. Startup said the two men could be charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, hit and run, and possible penalties from the Department of Ecology for the fuel damage. The suspects were found without identification at the scene.

The two men will remain in King County Jail while officials work to identify them. It remains unclear how the two men came in possession of the truck. Startup said troopers have been unable to get in contact with the truck’s registered owner.

“We don’t know if they were licensed to drive it, or whether they had taken it without permission,” she said. “It may have played role if they were not experienced semi drivers.”