PORTLAND — Freezing rain caused many crashes in the Portland area, including a big wreck on Interstate 5 that took hours to untangle, an accident on Interstate 84 that sent a semi down an embankment and a pileup of semis near Troutdale.
No serious injuries resulted from the early Friday crash on I-5 near Capitol Highway that involved more than two dozen cars and trucks.
In the I-84 crash, the Corbett Fire Department says the semi went down a 50-foot embankment toward the Columbia River. Crews used a rope system to rescue the driver and passenger, who had minor injuries.
The precipitation began early Friday, bringing snow to the Cascades and much of the Columbia River Gorge. Meanwhile, a sheet of ice developed on Portland-area roads.
