Video recorded Sunday on Washington’s Snoqualmie Pass appears to show a tractor-trailer driver deliberately blocking an ambulance traveling with its emergency lights and siren activated, eventually forcing the emergency vehicle alongside the highway barrier.
The incident occurred on Aug. 24, 2026, as traffic traveled through Snoqualmie Pass.
Video of the encounter shows a red North Bend Fire & Rescue ambulance approaching the tractor-trailer while apparently operating in emergency mode.
Rather than allowing the ambulance to pass, the semi can be seen moving across the roadway as the emergency vehicle attempts to get around it.
Ambulance Forced Toward Barrier
The encounter becomes particularly concerning when the ambulance attempts to pass the tractor-trailer.
The truck moves toward the ambulance’s lane, leaving the emergency vehicle squeezed between the tractor-trailer and the barrier along the side of the highway.
The video appears to show the ambulance crew repeatedly attempting to get around the truck while the semi continues to obstruct its path.
TWOSU News has not independently confirmed what occurred before the recording began or what prompted the truck driver’s actions. The video alone also cannot establish the driver’s intent.
However, the footage shows the ambulance operating with emergency equipment activated while its path is obstructed by the tractor-trailer.
This footage is presented for news reporting, public awareness and commentary. The video may not show the events immediately before or after the recorded encounter. TWOSU News has not independently verified the truck driver’s intent, and viewers should not draw conclusions regarding criminal or civil liability solely from the footage shown.
Washington Law Requires Drivers to Yield
Washington motorists are required to yield the right of way when an authorized emergency vehicle approaches using the appropriate audible and visual signals.
Drivers are generally required to move as close as reasonably possible to the right side of the roadway and remain stopped until the emergency vehicle has passed, subject to the directions of law enforcement and other exceptions provided under state law.
Those requirements apply to commercial motor vehicles as well as passenger vehicles.
Blocking an ambulance can have consequences extending far beyond the confrontation visible on the highway. Emergency crews may be responding to a crash, medical emergency or another situation in which minutes can matter.
Questions Remain About Incident
It was not immediately clear whether law enforcement contacted the truck driver following the encounter or whether any citations or charges resulted from the incident.
TWOSU News is working to determine whether Washington State Patrol or another agency received a report concerning the encounter.
No collision between the ambulance and tractor-trailer is clearly visible in the footage provided to TWOSU News, and the condition of the ambulance crew following the incident was not immediately known.
The video nevertheless captures an alarming encounter between a commercial vehicle and an ambulance attempting to make its way through traffic on one of Washington’s busiest mountain corridors.
This is a developing story. TWOSU News will update this report if additional information becomes available.
