Three people were injured Sunday evening after a suspected intoxicated driver crashed into the back of a disabled pickup on Interstate 205, about 4 miles north of Vancouver. (Screen shot from video courtesy of Danielle Faught)
Marlene F. Trueax, 61, of Milwaukie, Ore., was injured and taken to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center after the Sunday evening crash about 4 miles north of Vancouver. Her condition was provided by a hospital spokesman Monday morning.
At about 6:45 p.m., a green 2000 Plymouth van driven by Trueax was northbound on I-205 at Milepost 35, on the right shoulder, when it struck a disabled, gray 1984 Chevrolet C-10 pickup from behind. The impact flipped the van onto its top, and it came to rest in the right lane, according to a Washington State Patrol crash memo.
The driver of the pickup, identified as Nathan N. McGuire, 33, of Ridgefield, was injured but was not taken to a hospital. His passenger, 34-year-old Jessica R. Lester of Ridgefield, was also injured but was not transported, according to the crash memo.
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Troopers say Trueax will face DUI charges.
Both vehicles were totaled and towed from the scene.
McGuire said in a Facebook post that he and Lester appreciate people’s concerns for their well-being, and they’re happy to have walked away from the crash.
“I’m really bummed about the truck, but it took the collision like a champ. It could have been so much worse,” McGuire wrote.
He and Lester are still shaken up, he said, especially after having watched the crash on video being shared widely on social media. McGuire said he spotted the van coming toward his truck a few moments before impact, but there was no time to react.
Jayson Faught said in a message he was driving behind the swerving van for about 10 miles before the crash. His wife, Danielle, riding passenger, started recording the van as it continued through Vancouver, because no officers had responded yet.
The couple first called 911 when Trueax allegedly rear-ended another vehicle around Sandy Boulevard in Portland on I-205, Faught said.
“She kept driving, and we pulled up next to her to tell her to pull over, but she was unresponsive and slumped in her seat. We called it in to 911, she continued to drive erratically, veering into other lanes causing others to swerve out of the way,” he said.
With Danielle Faught recording, the van crashed into the pickup. The couple pulled over to the shoulder of the freeway, called for help and got out to check on everyone involved. Trueax’s van was upside down, and she was trapped inside, according to Jayson Faught.
Traffic on the freeway came to a standstill, as most of the road was blocked with debris from the wreck, Faught said.
“It was a very emotional scene. I didn’t know what to expect walking up to her van. People were telling (Trueax) to be still, and the passengers in the truck were able to walk away with some bumps and bruises,” Faught said.
