One Killed in Interstate 5 Crash at Ridgefield

Posted

An unidentified driver died on southbound Interstate 5 at Ridgefield on Tuesday night when their SUV struck the back of another vehicle and then veered off the freeway and struck a tree.

Washington State Patrol did not identify the driver killed in the crash or their vehicle, other than to report it was an SUV, according to an crash memo.

Troopers are working on contacting the family of the driver, according to the memo.

The SUV was southbound on I-5 at Milepost 10 in the center lane when it struck the rear right of a Nissan Versa, a four-door car. Then, it left the roadway to the right, hit a tree in the ditch and caught fire, troopers said.

The driver of the Nissan, 18-year-old Marc A. Soto, of Camas, stopped on the right shoulder of the freeway. Soto was uninjured, troopers said.

Two Fire District 6 fire engines were dispatched to the crash scene, said spokesman Dave Schmitke. The first engine to arrive came upon a vehicle engulfed in flames; its crew pulled a water line and spent 10 minutes extinguishing the fire, Schmitke said.

A second fire engine arrived and started dousing nearby trees with water so the fire wouldn’t spread, Schmitke said.

Troopers and Clark County deputies arrived moments later. The officers confirmed there was a body inside the burned SUV. Firefighters were requested to stay there to help retrieve the remains, Schmitke said.

The firefighters stayed at the scene of the crash for about an hour.

What caused the SUV’s driver to lose control is being investigated. The crash memo says it’s unknown if drugs or alcohol were factors.

Soto was not cited or charged.