Big rig and Jeep collide, snarl northbound I-5 traffic

A pickup truck, big rig and Jeep were involved in a collision that snarled Thursday evening traffic on Interstate 5 northbound, north of the Battle Ground exit.

Allen J. Moditz, 51, of Ridgefield was driving a Jeep north on the freeway when he attempted to pass a pickup truck that was driving in the left lane by changing to the right lane, said Trooper Will Finn, spokesman for the Washington State Patrol.

But as Moditz moved to the right lane, so did the other driver. A big rig hauling milk became involved in the collision and pushed the Jeep through the cable barrier off the side of the road.

The crash was reported at 4:26 p.m. near Milepost 13.

Moditz was injured in the crash and transported to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center, said Battalion Chief Tim Dawdy, spokesman for Clark County Fire & Rescue. The driver of the big rig was uninjured. The pickup truck driver was treated for minor injuries at the scene, Dawdy said.

Two lanes were closed for more than an hour, clogging northbound commuter traffic. The backup extended to Northeast 179th Street, according to Washington State Department of Transportation traffic cameras.

Large tow trucks removed the vehicles from the roadway. Another tractor-trailer removed the truck full of milk.

Moditz was cited by the State Patrol for making an unsafe lane change.