Yelm Highway closed on Friday after car crashes into tree, bursts into flames
Southeast Thurston Fire Authority responded to a single-vehicle wreck on Friday afternoon that involved a man crashing into a tree on Yelm Highway Southeast near Southworth Elementary School in Yelm.
Battalion Chief Brian Richardson told the Olympian that units were dispatched at 1:36 p.m. on Friday to reports of a vehicle having gone off the road and into a tree. He said a single occupant was found on the ground with serious injuries.
Richardson said the engine company started treating the man’s injuries until medics arrived. The man’s vehicle then burst into flames and had to be extinguished. The fire led to units closing the highway for safety reasons.
The man was transported to Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia, Richardson said. The cause of the wreck is being investigated by the Washington State Patrol, who could not be immediately reached for more information.
Richardson said traffic was backed up due to the road closure. According to the Washington State Department of Transportation, traffic was being alternated through the area at 2:09 p.m. Richardson said several WSP units were still on scene to investigate and relieve the traffic congestion. Google Maps showed about a 5-minute delay on the roadway as of 3 p.m.
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