One critically hurt in Friday night crash on Highway 502

A Battle Ground man was critically injured late Friday in a two-vehicle crash on state Highway 502, according to the Washington State Patrol. The driver of that vehicle, in which the man was riding, was arrested on suspicion of vehicular assault.

A WSP bulletin said the crash occurred at 9:39 p.m. when a Chevrolet S-10 compact pickup driven by Howard E. Morrow, 36, of Battle Ground turned into the path of an oncoming vehicle while turning from westbound Highway 502 onto the northbound Interstate 5 on-ramp.

The crash totaled the S-10, as well as the oncoming vehicle, a mid-sized Chevrolet K1-series pickup driven by Jorge A. Alvarez Baca, 21, of Woodland, the bulletin said.

Chance R. Newbill, 27, of Battle Ground, the passenger in the S-10, was transported to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. WSP Trooper Will Finn said Newbill was placed in a medically induced coma and remained in critical condition in the intensive care unit Saturday.

Morrow was also injured and transported to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center. He was later booked into the Clark County Jail on suspicion of vehicular assault, according to jail records.

Alvarez Baca was not injured, a WSP accident memo said.

A turn lane on Highway 502 and the offramp from southbound Interstate 5 to eastbound Highway 502 were closed until about 1 a.m. Saturday for the investigation, Finn said.