Five injured in head-on collision on Highway 14 east of Washougal

Five people were injured in a two-vehicle, head-on collision Saturday afternoon on state Highway 14 east of Washougal, according to the Washington State Patrol.

The crash, reported around 2 p.m., closed the westbound lanes of the highway for about three hours.

A 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche was traveling east on the highway near Milepost 19 when the driver attempted to pass another vehicle by using the westbound lane. The pickup collided with a westbound 1997 Jeep Cherokee, according to a State Patrol crash memo.

A passenger in the pickup, identified as Mariah E. Lucas, 23, of Keizer, Ore., was injured and life-flighted to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver. The driver, identified as Shawn C. LaBuff, 28, of Vancouver, was injured but declined medical aid, the crash memo states.

The Jeep’s driver and two passengers, identified as Brett A. Merritt, 36, Jenny M. O’Connor, 35, and Samuel W. Russell, 37, all of Vancouver, respectively, were injured and taken to local hospitals, according to the crash memo.

Troopers cited passing in the oncoming lane as the cause of the crash. No drugs or alcohol were involved, the crash memo states, and everyone was wearing their seat belts.