A Vancouver man fell asleep at the wheel while driving Thursday morning on state Highway 14 and crashed into a guardrail, according to Washington State Patrol.
The crash happened about 7:15 a.m. at Milepost 22 of the highway, 6 miles east of Washougal.
Kyle V. Smith, 27, was westbound in an Acura sedan when he fell asleep, according to a WSP crash memo.
“The vehicle drifted off the roadway to the right, corrected back to the left and struck the guardrail,” the memo states. Then, the Acura veered in the opposite direction and crashed into a ditch, troopers said.
Smith was injured in the crash and taken to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center for treatment. He was reportedly wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash. His car was totaled and impounded.
A PeaceHealth spokesman said Smith was treated and released from the hospital shortly before noon.
The Washington State Department of Transportation sent out an alert about the crash near Marble Road, warning commuters that traffic was being diverted through the highway’s eastbound lane and to watch out for a flagger. The transportation department reported that the wreckage was cleared within a half-hour.
Troopers said Smith falling asleep caused the crash and cited him for his vehicle’s wheels leaving the roadway.
