Man lies in I-90, is hit by three vehicles

A 34-year-old North Bend man was critically injured early today after he lay down in traffic lanes on Interstate 90 and was struck by three vehicles, according to the Washington State Patrol.

The incident happened about 6:20 a.m. near the Preston interchange, about 21 miles east of Seattle. Several motorists called 911 to report a pickup truck being erratically driven along High Point Way, which parallels I-90 on the north side of the freeway west of Preston, said Trooper Kelly Spangler.

The truck driver crashed against a utility pole then got out, climbed over a guardrail, went down an embankment and crossed the freeway's westbound lanes, Spangler said. The man then crossed the median and lay down in an eastbound lane, where he was struck by three vehicles, she said.

The man was taken to Harborview Medical Center, where his condition was described as unstable. The man's name was not made public.

The incident markes the second time in less than a week that a pedestrian has been struck on I-90. On Wednesday an Ellensburg businessman died after being in a traffic accident, removing his clothes, and standing in front of a pickup truck near the Tinkham Road interchange about 40 miles east of Seattle.