The first icy roads of the season are believed to be behind a crash that killed one man on Interstate 205 early Saturday.
The accident happened around 5:40 a.m. in the northbound lanes near the Padden Parkway exit. A 1991 Mazda pickup carrying two men lost control changing lanes and slid into the back of a tractor-trailer that had pulled over to the shoulder due to the icy conditions, according to Washington State Patrol. Troopers said the pickup was being driven too fast on the icy roads.
The driver of the pickup, 46-year-old Jose L. Chiu Lavaelle of Vancouver, died at the scene. His passenger, 22-year-old Jose E. Chiu, received lacerations, contusions and abrasions and was transported to Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center, the police report said. Both men were wearing seat belts.
Following that crash, a Ford Mustang slid into the back of the pickup before striking a barrier; the driver was not injured, said Jim Flaherty, firefighter-spokesman for the Vancouver Fire Department.
State troopers are investigating the accident, which was not fully cleared from the interstate until 9:30 a.m.
Heavy ice was reported on I-205 in both directions, as well as on Mill Plain Road in east Vancouver, Flaherty said. State Department of Transportation crews were dispatched by rescue responders to apply de-icing chemicals to I-205 following the accident, he said.
Between 5 a.m. and 11:15 a.m., Vancouver fire responded to seven crashes related to the icy weather, he said.
Flaherty urged drivers to use caution over the next few days, which are predicted to remain frigid.
"This is the first frost of the season," he said. "We’re asking people to take a breath and just pause."
Fire damages Northcrest home
A Saturday evening fire that started in a bedroom caused significant damage to a house at 5712 Montana Lane, in the Northcrest neighborhood of Vancouver Heights.
The fire was limited to the bedroom and its contents, but there was smoke damage throughout the home, Flaherty said. The ranch-style home was built in 1966, according to county property records.
The incident was reported at 6:35 p.m. No one was injured.
The house is owned by Norma L. Cook, according to county property records. She lives there with her two adult sons.
Due to the smoke damage, the American Red Cross was called to assist the family with lodging for the night. "They should be back in in a couple of days," Flaherty said.
An investigator determined a space heater too close to combustibles caused the fire. Damage was estimated at $15.000.
Metal thieves hit Little League
A massive metal theft Friday night could force Cascade Little League to cancel nighttime baseball and softball games this spring.
Sometime between 4 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. Saturday, thieves broke into the Little League’s outbuildings at the Harmony Sports Complex and tore out the copper wire that powered lights and scoreboards, groundskeeper Chilly Taylor said.
Taylor estimated it’ll cost $30,000 to repair the damage, including extensive rewiring. He plans to pursue an insurance claim.
This theft did even more damage than a July break-in at the same complex, he said.
No. 2 copper wire currently resells for $2.43 per pound, according to scrapcopper.net.
According to Taylor, tracks left at the scene suggest the criminals hauled away the scrap in a pickup truck that was parked on Northeast 18th Street, across from the T-intersection with 185th Avenue.
He asked anyone with information about the thieves, or anyone wishing to help the Little League repair its fields, to call him at 360-609-6877.
Taylor said he’s looking into the cost of adding steel screens to protect future wiring and expanding the field’s alarm system to protect the outbuildings.
If Cascade Little League has to cancel its night games when the season starts in April, Taylor said, older players will have to join a traveling team to play their allotment of games.
The theft will also interfere with the Little League’s efforts to defray its expenses by hosting all-day tournaments.
"To be able to host tournaments, you have to have lights," Taylor said.
Stabbing attributed to gang activity
A 26-year-old man was stabbed in the head late Friday night in what is believed to be a gang-related incident.
The victim, Anthony Ayon, was found in the parking lot of 5000 E. Fourth Plain Blvd. with a stab wound to his head, Vancouver police said.
He was transported by ambulance to Southwest Washington Medical Center for treatment of his injuries, which were not believed to be life-threatening. Ayon was discharged Saturday, according to hospital records.
The Safe Streets Gang Task Force is investigating the crime. Police think the assault happened in the 4700 block of Plomondon Street, a few blocks away from where the man was found.
No further information was released. If anyone has information on this case they are asked to call 911.
