A plume of black smoke could be spotted throughout Mercer Island and the Eastside on the afternoon of June 1 following a two-vehicle accident on Interstate 90 below the 72nd Avenue Southeast overpass.

According to the Mercer Island Fire Department, one of its units transported a patient who sustained minor injuries to a local hospital.

One of the vehicles, a van, was engulfed in flames and faced in the opposite direction on eastbound I-90 when units arrived after the call was dispatched at 12:55 p.m. One Mercer Island unit doused the burning van from the overpass. The other vehicle was situated directly under the overpass and one of its tires could be spotted further up the interstate. At one point during the incident, a loud snapping sound could be heard throughout the area.

Two Mercer Island fire units and a battalion chief responded to the scene along with a deputy chief and two units from Seattle Fire and Eastside Fire. Washington State Patrol troopers and Washington State Department of Transporation (WSDOT) members also assisted on scene. Eastbound I-90 was closed for about one hour and was reopened, and traffic overflow affected the downtown area.

While driving home to Mercer Island on Interstate 405 through Bellevue, Rivian Smith noted that she witnessed the enormous puff of smoke. After a WSDOT vehicle sped by her as she moved through traffic on I-90, she exited on Island Crest Way.