If you’ve ever exited into downtown Seattle, there’s a good chance you’ve taken Exit 165B, otherwise known as the Union Street exit. The exit is underground and involves a sharp right turn recommended at 20 miles per hour. For most drivers, this isn’t a problem. But for those not paying attention, their cars can quickly go flying into the freeway exit’s concrete wall.
Watch Dozens of Drivers Crash Leaving Exit 165B
YouTube user Michael B – who lives in the Eagles Apartments that are right outside EXIT 165 – has placed a Nest Camera outside his window to record accidents for years. You can find his most recent ‘supercut’ of the worst accidents he has captured.
While some are tamer with cars coming to rest at a wall on the left side of the Interstate 5 exit, others are extremely dangerous. Several cars exiting continue at rapid speeds and race through an intersection that’s often packed with pedestrians. Thankfully, none of the videos seen above feature any clear pedestrian injuries.
Why Is the Union Street Exit So Dangerous?
The Union Street exit is under a section of Interstate 5 that is below a “lid.” That is to say, it is underground as parts of the city like the Washington State Convention Center are built above the interstate.
That means that drivers exiting Union Street move from a darker environment back into the sunlight and city streets extremely quickly. Additionally, there are signs warning to reduce speed but drivers coming off the freeway often traveling at 70 miles per hour may not realize just how quickly they need to reduce their speed.
In addition, as you can see from the image above, the signs have plenty of graffiti covering them which could make reading them more difficult.
Overall, this video of accidents is compiled over more than five years of time. That means there are likely about two or three serious accidents recorded per year. While that doesn’t mean cars are routinely seeing major accidents at this exit, it is a wake-up call to show caution whether you’re exiting here in a car or walking around near Union Street.
