A driver attacked a worker from the Washington Department of Transportation and a Washington State Patrol trooper, who then shot the suspect. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The incident occurred on the shoulder of Interstate 5 in Everett, Washington, and was recorded by a traffic camera. The shoulder which was separated from traffic by a construction barrier. According to the Snohomish County Multiple Agency Response Team (SMART), the incident began when the driver rammed his car into the rear of a WSDOT vehicle and a boom lift that had two workers in the basket. SMART labeled the incident as road rage.
Read how WSDOT is evaluating safety protocols in light of the incident.
In an 18-minute video posted by KOMO News, the driver is shown chasing a worker, who jumps over a traffic barrier into a lane where traffic has stopped. The driver reaches across the barrier and grabs the worker’s safety vest, pulling him toward the barrier. When another worker runs to the scene, the driver re-enters his car. He later puts it into reverse, nearly missing a worker as the car slams into the barrier. He then pulls the car back up to the WSDOT vehicle.
The man then walks across three lanes of traffic before being confronted by the trooper. According to SMART, the man was armed with a hammer. It also said one of the WSDOT sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
About the Author
Rod Sutton
Sutton served as the editorial lead of Construction Equipment from 2001 through 2025.