Motorcade for late chief stalls I-5 traffic

A police motorcade from Edmonds to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle and back to transport the body of Edmonds Police Chief David Stern snarled the I-5 afternoon commute for about two hours Wednesday and startled state transportation officials.

The motorcade consisted of several dozen motorcycles, police patrol cars and a medic van.

It traveled below freeway speeds, and traffic saw delays from about 3:15 p.m. until about 5 p.m. as cars were stopped while the motorcade passed.

The state Department of Transportation was caught by surprise when the motorcade began, and learned of it through its I-5 traffic cameras on the freeway.

The State Patrol hadn't been contacted either, spokesman Jeff Merrill said.

State Transportation Secretary Doug MacDonald said freeway blockages create safety hazards that should be considered in setting up a motorcade.

He called it a difficult topic: Often, a motorcade "makes sense as a community recognition," he said.

"We would be very grateful if this was done with more consideration to other motorists, especially during rush hour," MacDonald said.

For the benefit of other highway users, law-enforcement agencies should consider off-peak times when possible, he said.

"It's not something we're going to regulate," MacDonald said. "It's something that should regulate itself, by the judgment of those involved."

Al Compaan, Edmonds' acting police chief, said the department is sorry "if something slipped through the cracks."

Police are trying to handle "a million and one things going on" logistically as it responds to Stern's death and arranges his services, he said.

"If that's the worst thing that happens as we go through it all, we're doing the best we can," Compaan said.