Wrong-way driver causes fiery crash on I-90 in Post Falls
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POST FALLS — A wrong-way driver on Interstate 90 early Thursday morning caused a crash that set a semi-truck ablaze and shut down westbound traffic for hours.
Idaho State Police say the collision happened around 2:30 a.m. near milepost 5 on the Spokane Street overpass.
A maroon Dodge Caravan, driven by a 62-year-old Spokane Valley man, was traveling east in the westbound lanes when it sideswiped a westbound semi-truck hauling cars.
Troopers say the truck driver, a 55-year-old Pennsylvania man, swerved to avoid a head-on collision, but the impact ruptured one of the semi’s fuel tanks, spilling diesel onto the roadway. The truck caught fire and came to a stop, blocking both westbound lanes.
Kootenai County Fire and Rescue crews extinguished the flames, saving the trailer, but the semi was destroyed. The Caravan came to rest about 50 yards from the crash site.
The Caravan driver was taken to Kootenai Health with minor injuries. The truck driver, his wife, and their adult son were treated at the scene.
Investigators have not determined whether impairment played a role.
Westbound I-90 was closed at Spokane Street for several hours while crews cleared the wreckage.