The Washington State Patrol reported that 13 cars were involved in a crash on the Snake River Bridge around 6 a.m. on December 13. The Snake River Bridge was closed for eastbound lanes of traffic near milepost 295 going into Burbank. According to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, there were no major injuries reported and the bridge reopened after a few hours of closure.

The crash caused numerous Columbia elementary, middle, and high school teachers and students to be late for the start of school.  Most of the staff at the schools come from Tri-Cities and were stuck on the west side of the bridge.  Schools were able to manage a few hours with subs and combining classes until staffing arrived.