Car Broke Down on I-5, I-90 or SR-99 in Seattle? Do This First
The First Minute After Your Car Breaks Down
Get out of the travel lane and make yourself visible
If your car fails on I-5, I-90, SR-99, SR-520 or SR-509, the Washington State Patrol’s advice is simple:
- Get to the right shoulder, completely off the freeway if you can. If you cannot reach the right side, pull over to whichever shoulder is closest
- Turn on your hazard lights straight away
- Check traffic before you open a door. Drivers do not expect people on a freeway shoulder
- If your car is blocking a lane and will not move, call 911. If it is off the road but you cannot fix it, call roadside help and also call 911 so dispatch knows you are there — they can send a trooper or a tow truck
A Block Towing dispatches 24/7 from 2918 1st Ave S in SoDo, next to I-5, I-90, SR-99 and SR-509. Call (206) 602-7416.
Stay in the car or get out? On a narrow shoulder with traffic passing close, staying inside with doors locked and your seatbelt on is often safer than standing beside the car. If you can get well away from traffic — behind a barrier or up an embankment — that is safer still. Never stand between your car and moving traffic.
Tell the dispatcher exactly where you are: freeway and direction (for example I-5 southbound), the last exit or mile marker you passed, which shoulder you are on, and the vehicle colour and make. Your phone’s map can usually show your location if you are unsure.
Who Can Help You on a Seattle Freeway
- 911 / Washington State Patrol: for anything blocking a lane, a crash, or if you feel unsafe. Dispatch can send a trooper or a tow
- WSDOT Incident Response Teams: patrol congested state highways and help clear stranded vehicles. They can push a car out of a lane, provide a small amount of fuel or change a tire, at no charge. They are not a tow service
- SDOT Response Team: the City of Seattle’s team that helps clear incidents on City streets
- A private tow or roadside service: to get the car off the freeway and to a shop or home. From SoDo we reach most of I-5, I-90, SR-99 and SR-509 in Seattle quickly — often a fuel delivery, tire change or jump start gets you moving without a tow
Do not leave the car on the freeway. The State Patrol warns that abandoned vehicles get broken into, stolen or hit. In a signed tow-away zone a vehicle can be towed immediately, and a car left more than 24 hours in other areas can be impounded — with impound fees on top.
If your car was towed by the State Patrol, call the WSP district communications centre for the county where you left it. For King County that is District 2, (425) 401-7788. WSP cannot locate cars towed from private property or by city police — for those, see our Seattle impound lot guide.
If It Was a Crash, Not a Breakdown
Washington's Steer It Clear It and Move Over laws
Steer It Clear It (RCW 46.52.020). After a crash where no one is injured and the car can be driven, Washington law requires you to move it out of the roadway to the shoulder or a parking area. You do not need to wait for police first. Then exchange information with the other drivers. Collisions can be reported online with the Washington State Patrol.
If anyone is injured, do not move the vehicle. Call 911.
If the car cannot be driven after a crash, we handle accident towing and coordinate with the State Patrol or Seattle Police when they are on scene.
Move Over (RCW 46.61.212). When you approach a stopped emergency vehicle, tow truck or highway maintenance vehicle with flashing lights, Washington law requires you to move over a lane away from it if you safely can, or slow down. It protects the people helping stranded drivers — including our drivers on the shoulder of I-5.
What to tell us when you call:
- Freeway, direction and last exit or mile marker
- Which shoulder, and whether you are blocking a lane (if so, call 911 first)
- The vehicle and what happened — will not start, flat, out of fuel, overheated, or a crash
- Where you want it to go
We quote one flat price on the phone, 24 hours a day, with no night or weekend surcharge. Call (206) 602-7416. See our 24/7 roadside assistance.
FAQ
Get to the right shoulder, completely off the freeway if possible, and turn on your hazard lights. If the car is blocking a lane and will not move, call 911. If it is off the road but you cannot fix it, call roadside help and also call 911 so dispatch knows you are there.
Often yes. On a narrow shoulder with traffic passing close, staying inside with the doors locked and your seatbelt on is usually safer than standing by the car. If you can get well away from traffic behind a barrier, that is safer still.
WSDOT Incident Response Teams patrol congested state highways and can push a car out of a lane, give a small amount of fuel or change a tire at no charge. They are not a tow service, so you may still need a tow.
Not long. According to the State Patrol, a car in a signed tow-away zone can be towed immediately, and a car left more than 24 hours elsewhere can be impounded.
Yes, if no one is injured and the car can be driven. RCW 46.52.020 requires you to move it out of the roadway to the shoulder or a parking area. If anyone is injured, do not move it and call 911.
RCW 46.61.212 requires drivers approaching a stopped emergency vehicle, tow truck or highway maintenance vehicle with flashing lights to move over a lane if it is safe, or slow down.
Call the WSP district communications centre for the county where you left it. For King County, District 2 is (425) 401-7788.
Yes. We dispatch 24/7 from 2918 1st Ave S in SoDo, next to I-5, I-90, SR-99 and SR-509. Call (206) 602-7416 with your direction and last exit.