A Clackamas, Ore., man allegedly had a blood-alcohol level nearly twice the legal limit when he caused a five-vehicle pileup that injured two people Friday on Interstate 5.
Maxwell F. Moreland, 20, appeared in custody Monday in Clark County Superior Court on suspicion of vehicular assault. Judge John Fairgrieve set bail at $15,000, which Moreland posted, according to court records.
Moreland, an active-duty U.S. Marine, signed waivers of speedy arraignment and extradition that will allow him to travel to Washington, D.C., for work, according to court records. His arraignment is scheduled for Oct. 29.
The crash occurred at 6:55 a.m. near state Highway 500. A black 2000 Ford F-150 pickup was headed south in the left lane of the freeway when it failed to slow for traffic and struck a black 2007 Acura TSX, according to a Washington State Patrol crash memo. In a chain reaction, the Acura struck a red 2010 Toyota Corolla, which struck a white Subaru Forester, which struck a gray 2009 Hyundai Elantra.
Moreland, who was driving the pickup, was uninjured, according to the press memo. A passenger in the pickup — Nikkole S. Freeman, 20, of Corvallis, Ore. — suffered a fractured collarbone, according to an affidavit of probable cause. She was not wearing a seat belt, the crash memo said.
The driver of the Acura, 49-year-old Christina L. Steed of Vancouver, was also injured. While it was initially unclear whether she suffered a broken arm, she was in severe pain and lost motion in her left arm, according to the affidavit.
Moreland told a trooper before his arrest that he had been drinking wine the night before, the court document states.
“Moreland appeared emotional, and I could smell a strong odor of intoxicants coming from his person,” a trooper wrote in the affidavit. “I observed Moreland had bloodshot watery eyes and slurred speech.”
In voluntary field sobriety tests, Moreland showed signs of impairment. A preliminary breath test found he had a blood-alcohol level of 0.15, according to the affidavit. In Washington, a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 or greater is considered evidence of drunken driving.
After troopers obtained a warrant, Moreland underwent a blood test at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center, according to the affidavit. The results were expected to be sent to the Washington State Patrol’s crime laboratory for analysis.
Three vehicles were totaled and impounded by the state patrol, while the other two were driven from the scene, according to the crash memo. Other people involved in the crash were uninjured.
