KENNEWICK, Wash.-- All the people heading to the mall to buy their last minute gifts are causing lots of congestion on the roads.
A number of accidents happened Saturday near the shopping area and law enforcement are warning people to be careful.
A car went up in flames Saturday in an accident next to the Columbia Center Boulevard exit on State Route 240.
A Washington State Patrol trooper said it happened because of a back-up following a different accident that happened on the Columbia Center Boulevard overpass.
A driver heading westbound on SR 240 didn't stop fast enough and rear ended another car. The driver and a child got out of the car right before it went up in flames.
Aside from the burned vehicle, no one was hurt, but State Patrol warns everyone to take caution when in that area.
"Because of the mall and all of the retail stores up here on Columbia Center we get a lot of back up on Columbia Center, a lot of traffic. We're having a lot of collisions, both the city of Kennewick and the city of Richland and then it ends up spilling over onto the highway when we have back up from those," said Trooper David Kaiser.
Traffic on SR 240 was at a stand still during the fire and then one lane opened until the clean-up was complete.
Trooper Kaiser said it's common this time of year to see multiple crashes in that area and people need to take their time and be extra alert while on the road.
