Unlicensed Semi Driver Arrested After School Bus Crash on I-5 in Washington

A multi-vehicle crash involving a semi-truck and a school bus shut down northbound Interstate 5 near Lacey, Washington, after authorities say the truck driver was operating without a valid commercial driver’s license. The collision occurred on wet road conditions and triggered a chain-reaction crash involving several passenger vehicles. Three people were transported to the hospital with injuries. Officials confirmed that no children were on the school bus at the time of the crash.

According to the Washington State Patrol and reporting by Land Line Media, the driver of the car-hauling semi did not possess a CDL, nor the required medical certification or proper insurance to legally operate a commercial vehicle. The driver was taken into custody at the scene and faces criminal charges for driving without proper credentials. The incident has raised renewed concerns about enforcement gaps in commercial driver oversight and how unqualified operators continue to make it onto public roadways, particularly in high-risk, heavy-traffic corridors.