Multi-vehicle crash in Vancouver sends motorcyclist to hospital

Washington State Patrol troopers say three vehicles and a motorcycle were involved in a crash Wednesday night on southbound Interstate 5 in Vancouver.

The crash occurred shortly after 9 p.m. near Milepost 3, north of the state Highway 500 interchange.

A gray Toyota Corolla driven by Yuriy Gaidaichuk, 25, of Centralia, was in the left lane while the two other vehicles and motorcycle were in the right lane of the freeway, approaching a construction lane closure, according to a crash memo.

Gaidaichuk attempted to merge into the right lane and struck the motorcycle, a Buell Firebolt driven by 49-year-old Vancouver resident David J. Allen. Gaidaichuk continued forward and hit a Mazda sedan; the motorcycle crashed into a fourth vehicle, a Lexus SUV, troopers said.

Both Allen and his passenger, 25-year-old Jenny C. Ki, of Vancouver, were wearing helmets.

Allen was taken to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center for treatment of unspecified injuries. No one else was injured.

Troopers are still trying to determine the exact cause of the multi-vehicle crash and noted that charges are pending until the investigation is finished.