A tipped travel trailer blocked all three lanes northbound on Interstate 5 on Friday near Woodland, and a motorcyclist was hurt after traffic backed up.
Washington State Patrol trooper Will Finn said a pickup pulling the trailer was near Milepost 18 when the trailer began to wobble.
The pickup and trailer went out of control and the trailer rolled at about 1 p.m.
The pickup driver, Ronald Leffner, 50, of Vancouver was taken to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center with minor injuries, Finn said.
The passengers — a 50-year-old Vancouver woman and an 8-year-old boy, as well as three dogs — were a little shaken, Finn said, but unhurt.
At around 1:10 p.m., troopers responded to a car-vs.-motorcycle crash about 4 miles south of the trailer rollover, in the midst of the traffic backup on I-5 northbound. Details on the crash were unavailable, but it appeared the motorcycle rider sustained minor injuries, Finn said late Friday afternoon.
At the rollover, tow trucks were able open a shoulder briefly, Finn said, but the freeway was totally blocked for about 40 minutes.
Finn said traffic remained fairly stacked up past 2 p.m., when the scene was cleared. Heavy traffic was reported along the back roads of La Center and Woodland as people looked for detours, he said.
“We appreciate everyone’s patience with us,” he said.
Finn said speed, the weight of the trailer and the slope of the roadway likely contributed to the rollover, but the cause remained under investigation.
