One injured in 4-car accident near Camas

One person was injured and many motorists were delayed after a four-vehicle crash on Highway 14 near the west Camas city limits on Saturday morning.

The crash occurred at 9:08 a.m. near the Sixth Avenue onramp to Highway 14. A tractor-trailer rig had jack-knifed in the highway’s westbound lanes, forcing motorists to stop.

However, according to the Washington State Patrol, an SUV driven by Steven C. Gardner, 55, of North Bonneville, failed to stop. It struck the rear of a pickup driven by Michelle K. Gable, 39, of Washougal. The force of the collision pushed the pickup into the back of a Scion XB driven by Stacey L. Widick, 44, of Portland.

The fourth vehicle, a red Honda Civic, was behind Gardner’s SUV and the driver swerved to try to avoid the accident. However, it struck the Scion.

The Civic’s driver, Abigail Joaquin, 20, of Washougal, was not reported injured, but her passenger, Daisye Mendoza, 19, of Vancouver, was taken to a hospital for evaluation and treatment of injuries.

Gardner faces a charge of second-degree negligent driving, according to a State Patrol memo.

Traffic was snarled for two hours while the wreck was investigated and the scene was cleared.