Thurston County wreck on I-5 early Monday involved not 1, but 2 drivers suspected of DUI
Two drivers were arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, and four people, including one of the drivers, were taken to area hospitals after an early Monday morning collision on southbound I-5, according to Washington State Patrol.
Two of the injured were hurt seriously enough that they were taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, said Trooper Robert Reyer.
About 2 a.m. Monday, a 34-year-old California man driving a semi-trailer was headed south on I-5 in Thurston County. The driver wanted to take the exit to the Maytown rest area, but missed the exit, Reyer said. In an attempt to get to the exit ramp, the driver over-corrected his steering and jacknifed the trailer. The tractor wound up in a ditch facing north, while the trailer was perpendicular to the road, he said.
The California driver was arrested on suspicion of DUI.
Meanwhile, the driver of a mini-van, also headed south, struck the right rear of the trailer. One of the three passengers in that vehicle, a 31-year-old man, was ejected from the van and later taken to Harborview. A 27-year-old Elma woman, also a passenger, also was ultimately taken to Harborview for her injuries, Reyer said.
The driver, a 31-year-old Aberdeen man, and the third passenger, a 27-year-old Montesano man, ran from the vehicle, but were later found by a Thurston County Sheriff’s deputy. The driver and Montesano man also were injured and taken to Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia.
The Aberdeen man faces a possible DUI and vehicular assault charge.
Traffic in the area was slowed for seven hours, according to State Patrol.
This story was originally published September 13, 2022 at 5:30 AM.
