Troopers investigate fatal crash on I-5 southbound in Vancouver

The driver of a pickup traveling south on Interstate 5 near Hazel Dell exited the moving vehicle and was struck and killed by a tractor-trailer late Monday, according to the Washington State Patrol.

The driver of the pickup, whose identity has been withheld pending notification of next of kin, was traveling south on the interstate at 11:23 p.m. Monday when, for an unknown reason, the driver left the vehicle, Trooper Will Finn said.

The pickup continued until it struck the center concrete barrier and came to a stop, Finn said. The driver, standing in the right center lane of the four lane stretch of highway, was then struck by a 2015 Volvo tractor-trailer and was killed instantly, Finn said.

The rig, driven by Bharat Kumar, 52, of Stockton, Calif., came to a stop on the right shoulder. A short time later, a 2008 Kia Spectra driven by Diane A. Ferdig, 46, of Washougal passed through the scene and hit the driver of the pickup again, Finn said.

Kumar and Ferdig were not injured, remained on scene and cooperated with investigators, Finn said. Both drivers were evaluated by a drug-recognition expert at the scene, who determined they were not impaired.

The identity of the person killed is under investigation by the Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office. Finn said that police investigators do not yet know the driver’s motivations for exiting the vehicle.

The left lane of I-5 south was blocked until about 4 a.m. Tuesday, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.