Two pileups snarl morning SR-16 commute

Only one person suffered minor injuries in two, multi-car accidents Monday morning on State Route 16 near Port Orchard, according to the Washington State Patrol.

WSP Spokesman Trooper Brian George said 10 cars total were involved in the separate incidents, each which occurred shortly before 8 a.m.

When troopers responded, they found one pileup involving seven vehicles, and another, just yards away, that included three vehicles.

George said that the chain reaction collisions started due to heavy traffic traveling westbound on SR-16 near State Route 166, and the first one began when the a vehicle slowed to a stop, and the six vehicles following her were unable to stop in time.

“They just stacked-up on top of each other,” he said, adding that five of the seven drivers were cited for speed too fast for the conditions.

The second collision involved three vehicles, and began when the lead vehicle slowed to an abrupt stop to avoid the other pile up, then was struck from behind by following vehicles.

George said that on Friday, troopers also investigated three separate multiple vehicle collisions within one mile of Monday’s collisions, at nearly the same time of day and with similar roadway conditions.

He noted that congested roadways and heavy rains is a time when drivers need to increase following distance and slow down in order to drive defensively.

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