A Centralia man was involved in an accident on Interstate 5 in Pierce County Friday evening that left four people injured and blocked three of four lanes on southbound 1-5 for more than two hours.
According to a Washington State Patrol press release, four people — all passengers in the same vehicle — were transported to Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital with injuries.
The press release states that at 7:05 p.m., Aaron L. Shaefers, 37, of Centralia was driving a 2012 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck southbound on 1-5 at South Tacoma Way when he reportedly struck the rear side of a 2004 Ford Taurus driven by David J. Moore, 25, of Federal Way. Moore was uninjured, however four passengers in the vehicle were hospitalized. They were: Delishia M. Moore, 26, of Tacoma, a 13-year-old female, a 9-year-old female and a 6-year-old male.
The collision caused a chain reaction, with Moore’s vehicle colliding with the rear of a vehicle ahead of it, with that vehicle in turn striking another and that vehicle still another, according to the state patrol. The last vehicle to be struck, a 2003 Ford F150, driven by Raul M. Duarte, 30, of Federal Way, was totaled.
When the vehicles came to a rest, they were sprawled across two lanes of traffic, and three lanes total were closed down for two hours and seven minutes as emergency crews cleared the scene.
The press release attributes speed as the cause of the crash, and states that no criminal charges were issued, nor were alcohol or drugs a contributing factor.
