Traffic was snarled throughout Vancouver on Tuesday morning after a log truck lost a load on the Interstate 205 Bridge shortly after 7.
The spill blocked the two southbound lanes of the freeway and caused drivers to seek alternate routes, said Washington State Patrol Trooper Mike Kesler.
"It just created gridlock everywhere," he said.
The investigation by the state patrol revealed that a 2005 Kenworth tractor-trailer rig driven by John P. McNamara, 47, of Raymond, lost its load when the brakes malfunctioned. The rear wheels separated from the load, causing the back end of the logs to fall onto the road.
McNamara dragged the load for a short distance but was forced to stop in order to keep the logs from spilling. The logs remained bundled during the accident.
