This browser does not support the Video element.
Video shows wrong-way driver stopped by safety net on I-5 near Northgate
Dramatic video shows an SUV speeding past a closed express lanes ramp on Interstate 5 near Northgate before being stopped by a safety dragnet designed to prevent wrong-way entry. Washington State Patrol says the driver experienced a medical event, highlighting ongoing concerns as Washington reports a higher-than-average rate of wrong-way driving deaths.
SEATTLE - Terrifying video captured the moment a car flies onto a closed express lanes ramp headed toward oncoming traffic during the weekend.
A man who was driving along I-5 near Northgate when it happened shared video with FOX 13 Seattle.
It's especially frightening considering Washington State has double the national average for wrong-way driving deaths.
People driving along I-5 said when they saw an SUV headed southbound toward the northbound express lanes, they knew something was wrong.
What they're saying:
"It could've have been really, really bad for sure," Benjamin Jurkovich said. "I was going around 60 miles per hour and they were probably going 70, 75."
He reflected on the scene near Northgate on Saturday at about 8:30 a.m. when he saw an Acura SUV zoom past him on Southbound I-5, onto the closed express lanes ramp with northbound traffic coming right at them.
"They just blew through the fencing, the netting, and that stopped their vehicle," Jurkovich said.
Dig deeper:
In the video, you can see the SUV held in place by what's called a dragnet. A 2011 post from WSDOT's Flickr page shows a closer look.
WSDOT said the dragnet prevents drivers from entering the express lanes in the wrong direction.
Washington State Patrol told FOX 13 News the woman behind the wheel experienced a medical event. She was taken to the hospital. We have not received any updates about how she is doing.
"Oh my gosh, I think were the words that came out of my mouth," Jurkovich said.
WSDOT said wrong-way driving has led to about four percent of traffic deaths in the United States, but Washington's rate is double that at eight percent.
The department said from 2020 to 2025, WSP responded to 57 deadly wrong-way crashes and 441 cases involving wrong-way drivers.
WSDOT released a wrong-way driving report in June 2025.
Luckily, this time a dragnet was there.
"What were the chances that someone that fell asleep or was having a medical emergency just so happened to have a net right there to catch them. I mean the whole timing of that was just absolutely incredible to me," Jurkovich said.
If you drive along I-5 where the incident happened, you'll see the netting is still up and serves as a reminder of just how close of a call it could have been.
Just last year, WSDOT announced it would install new technology to detect, deter, and automatically alert officials about wrong-way drivers.
The department also told us it installed wrong-way detection systems along on-ramps at 10 locations picked after evaluating crash data.
MORE NEWS FROM FOX 13 SEATTLE
Gov. Ferguson signs bill changing WA legal language away from 'alien'
More than 100 Kent, WA workers to be laid off by Rise Baking
WA AG joins lawsuit against OneMain Financial, alleging bait-and-switch scheme
Chateau Ste Michelle Summer 2026 concert lineup announced
Former WA resident says she was victim of alleged License Express flaw
FBI adds WA double-murder suspect Samuel Ramirez Jr. to Most Wanted List
Loved ones still reeling after deadly Key Peninsula, WA stabbings: ‘Never saw that coming from him’
To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.
Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
The Source: