The semi-truck driver who was killed in a collision with a support pillar for the 113th Avenue overpass on southbound Interstate 5 near Maytown on Monday has been identified as Michael Erickson, 61, of Seattle.
Erickson’s cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries, the Thurston County Coroner’s Office confirmed to The Chronicle on Thursday.
Erickson was declared dead at the scene of the crash when emergency crews responded just after 7:30 a.m. on Monday.
The Washington State Patrol (WSP) is investigating the crash but had not determined the cause as of Tuesday morning.
According to WSP, the semi was traveling southbound on I-5 in the far right lane when, just north of the 113th Avenue overpass, the semi struck the guardrail on the right shoulder then struck a support pillar for the overpass.
WSP could not determine whether drugs or alcohol were involved in the crash as of Tuesday morning. It is also unknown whether the driver was wearing a seat belt.
No other vehicles were involved and no injuries, aside from the fatal injuries sustained by the semi’s driver, were reported.
The semi’s tractor and trailer were both totaled in the collision.
Multiple lanes of southbound I-5 were blocked for a total of 13 hours and 41 minutes on Monday as crews cleaned up the wreckage and evaluated the structural integrity of the overpass.
