WSDOT "Incident Response Hightlights" shares the good, the bad and sometimes ugly events in the life of WSDOT's Incident Response Teams.
Roadway is clear; work is not over for Incident Response
A Sunday drive turned out to be more of a nightmare for motorists on westbound SR 512. At 4 p.m., a four-car collision blocked all lanes. WSDOT’s Incident Response Team (IRT) members Glen Briggs and Willie Ramsey arrived at the scene to provide traffic control.
Working with troopers and tows, IRT helped push vehicles to the shoulder in order to clear all lanes. Unfortunately, the 45 minute closure resulted in a two and a half mile backup. After the collision was clear, IRT patrolled the backups looking for disabled vehicles. Briggs and Ramsey provided gas to several motorists who ventured out believing they had enough fuel to make it to their destination – not expecting to get stuck in a backup. They also jump-started several vehicles that were left with drained batteries after waiting in traffic.
Ramsey, always with a smile, reminds motorists to make sure they have plenty of fuel before venturing out on the roadway. “Vehicles that run out of gas or become disabled in backups normally end up blocking lanes and causing secondary collisions,” said Ramsey. “This adds to the problem so remember to keep your vehicle fully serviced and full of fuel.”
No crying over spilled milk for Incident Response Team
On Feb. 13, a tractor-trailer truck carrying milk and turning left from State Route 507 to SR 7 near Spanaway, tipped into a semi in the turn lane beside it. The milk that spilled over the roadway was as big of a mess as the traffic back-up for motorists traveling north and southbound SR 7. Willie Ramsey and Kathy Vatter from WSDOT’s Incident Response Team (IRT) were there to help with traffic control. Since both northbound lanes were blocked, Willie and Kathy set traffic cones allowing northbound traffic to use one lane of the southbound roadway.
Washington State Patrol deemed this incident to fit the requirement for a Major Incident Tow (MIT). MIT is an incentive program for tow companies to clear incidents involving heavy trucks. Tow companies clearing incidents within a certain time limit receive a monetary incentive. When the tow company arrived, Willie and Kathy closed all lanes of traffic while the tow truck up-righted the truck and trailer. Once the trucks were clear, Willie and Kathy cleared the cones and reopened the roadway to traffic. Backups extending northbound a half-mile, cleared within five minutes of reopening the roadway.
Olympic Region's IR drivers help out where ever needed.
Fighting winter weather is tough, and when it hits with a vengeance, there are no region boundaries. WSDOT employees all jumped in to help when Snoqualmie Pass experienced record-breaking snow levels and had to close for 89 hours due to avalanche control.
While Northwest and South Central Regions fought to get Snoqualmie Pass open, North Central and Southwest Regions where working day and night to make sure Stevens and White passes remained open.
During a statewide conference call on Friday, Feb. 1, Dave Bierschbach, Assistant Regional Administrator from North Central Region said he needed additional Incident Response crews on Stevens Pass. Within minutes of Dave’s request, Olympic Region’s Willie Ramsey was deployed to rove Stevens Pass and help keep all lanes open to traffic.
Willie didn’t think twice about heading up to the pass and helping out. He told John Nisbet when John called asking Willie to go, “No problem, I’ve got my warm coat.”
Willie encountered an eight-mile backup as he neared the pass and immediately got to work, clearing five vehicles who despite constant warning from WSDOT and Washington State Patrol, neglected to chain up before they reached the pass.
Willie worked the pass all day on Friday, and was relieved Saturday by teammate, Kathy Vatter.
Both Willie and Kathy loved the experience of meeting the IR drivers who routinely rove the passes. They both said they’ve never encountered such treacherous driving conditions.
If Willie could make one recommendation to motorists driving winter pass conditions, he’d tell them to come prepared. Willie had to give several lessons to motorists about chains. One motorist was having a terrible time keeping his chains on. Willie got out and discovered the driver mistake – he’d placed chains on his rear tires, which doesn’t work too well when you drive a front-wheel drive vehicle.