Getting There: Accident reports available by email

Technology is going to give drivers in Washington convenient access to accident reports.

The Washington State Patrol recently activated a new system it calls Washington Requests for Electronic Collision Reports.

Drivers who have the misfortune of being in a crash can log on to the WSP website at wsp.wa.gov and call up their collision report.

There, they can use a credit card or electronic check to order copies of the report for $9.50 each. The report is then transmitted via email.

Collision records are maintained for any accident involving injury or property damage of $700 or more. Individually filed or law enforcement reports are both available.

It may take two to four weeks after an accident before reports are available electronically.

Drivers can obtain complete copies by providing specific information during their electronic query. Others would receive reports with some of the detailed information removed.

Trooper Troy Briggs said drivers might need copies of reports for any number of reasons, including insurance claims or possible court cases.

The new system will not only be convenient for drivers, but it will reduce the processing workload on agencies that maintain accident records, said Spokane sheriff’s Sgt. Dave Reagan.

For more information, contact the WSP collision records section by email at collisionrecords @wsp.wa.gov, or by phone at (360) 570-2355.

Seat belt patrols

Nighttime seat belt patrols from May 23 through June 5 in Spokane County resulted in 442 citations, including 239 for not wearing a seat belt. Officers made three arrests for driving under the influence and four arrests for outstanding warrants.

In addition, they wrote up 43 drivers for talking on cellphones or texting, 22 for speeding, four for aggressive driving, 37 for being uninsured and 22 for driving with revoked or suspended licenses.

Statewide, 6,681 tickets were written, of which nearly 3,000 were for seat belt violations.

In a separate enforcement effort involving commercial vehicles last week, troopers wrote 1,800 tickets and took 214 rigs out of service. Forty-three drivers were removed from behind the wheel, mainly for keeping inadequate logs. One driver was arrested for DUI and two had suspended licenses.

Sullivan-Indiana repaving

Spokane Valley is planning to repave the intersection of Sullivan Road and Indiana Avenue with concrete starting in July, and they want to give drivers and nearby business owners a chance to review the project.

An open house is planned from 6 to 7:30 p.m. June 30 in the community room at the Spokane Valley Mall.

Senior Engineer Craig Aldworth said he wants to get the word out so that people who rely on that intersection will know what to expect.

During construction, expected to last until early September, Sullivan will be reduced to one lane in each direction.

I-90 blasting closures

Rock blasting closures of Interstate 90 east of Snoqualmie Pass are planned for Monday through Thursday from 8 to 9 p.m. each day.

Traffic in both directions will be stopped during the work.

Rock on the north side of the freeway is being removed as part of a major widening and safety improvements to the freeway along Keechelus Lake.

Spokane Falls Blvd. reopening

Spokane Falls Boulevard through the University District should be reopened this Friday as workers complete a new intersection that will link Spokane Falls to a new Martin Luther King Jr. Way. Construction delays have delayed the reopening this month.

Street party will close streets

Residential streets in the vicinity of Manito and Comstock parks will be closed from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday for this year’s first running of the Spokane Summer Parkways event.

Residents living along the selected route will be able to get into and out of their streets. They will just have to watch out for bicycle riders, walkers, skaters and others involved in the motor-less street party.

Two additional Summer Parkways events are planned for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on July 24 from Clark to Ruth parks and Aug. 14 from Audubon Park to Albi Stadium.

Post Street work begins today

Reconstruction of Post Street from Maxwell to Cleveland avenues will start today. The $1.3 million fix is being funded by a voter-approved bond issue dating back to 2004.

Monroe, Division, Washington and Howard streets will all provide alternate routes.

Division lanes closing overnight

Repaving of Division Street from Euclid to Francis avenues will result in lane restrictions from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. on work days. Crews are grinding down and resurfacing the busy arterial. Traffic is being reduced to one lane in each direction during the work.

WSDOT working on Highway 2

The Washington State Department of Transportation is reducing U.S. Highway 2 to one lane today in the vicinity of the Camelot subdivision at Winchester Road for water line repairs. The work was to start at 5 a.m. and continue into this afternoon.

Westbound I-90 lane reduction

Westbound I-90 will be reduced to one lane near Havana on Tuesday and Wednesday from 7 p.m. to about 5 a.m. the next morning for installation of a variable message sign board.

On Thursday, only one westbound lane will be open from 7 p.m. until 1 a.m. Friday. Then at 1 a.m., all westbound lanes will be closed for one hour. The freeway will be reopened with a single westbound lane from 2 to 5 a.m.

At the port of entry at Stateline, westbound I-90 will be reduced to one lane from 7 p.m. tonight to about 8 a.m. on Tuesday.