On Tuesday afternoon, one person suffered injuries following a chain reaction crash in Woodland.
As per the initial information, the five-vehicle pile-up took place at about 1:30 p.m. at milepost 23 on southbound I-5. The early reports showed that the 63-year-old driver of a Volkswagen Jetta was traveling too fast for conditions when she failed to maintain control of her vehicle in the left lane. The vehicle spun into the center lane where it was struck by a truck. That truck then crashed into another semi-truck in the right lane. Both trucks swerved off the road to the right shoulder, through the guardrail and down an I-5 embankment.
Due to the impact, the cab of the first truck got engulfed in flames and ended up partially in the Columbia River. The second truck came to a stop on its side in the river. On arrival, responders extinguished the fire and both trucks were also leaked fuel. The 4th vehicle, a Buick, was struck from behind in the left lane by the 5th vehicle, a Mustang, when the Buick slowed down because of the unfolding crash across the southbound lanes.
At approximately 6:20 p.m. authorities reported that one of the semis was recovered and taken away. However, the other semi remained on its side in water and crews estimated that it might take most of Tuesday night to recover it. Delays were expected through the evening and the right lane near milepost 23 remained blocked for the recovery.
The 51-year-old driver of the first semi-truck was transported to a nearby hospital with unspecified injuries. The victim is from Mount Baldy, California. The other truck driver, a 38-year-old from British Columbia, remained unharmed in the wreck. The drivers of the Jetta and the Mustang are Castle Rock residents. The Buick driver is from Salinas, California. The driver of the Jetta was ticketed for driving too fast for the conditions. No further details were provided.
The crash remains under investigation.
April 27, 2022
Source: KOIN 6 News