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News / Clark County News

Vehicle crashes into I-5 weigh station north of Ridgefield

Troopers say driver suffered broken neck in crash

By Jessica Prokop, Columbian Local News Editor
Published: November 11, 2019, 10:14am
2 Photos
A man suffered a broken neck Monday morning after he reportedly fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into a light pole on northbound Interstate 5 at the Port of Entry in Ridgefield.
A man suffered a broken neck Monday morning after he reportedly fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into a light pole on northbound Interstate 5 at the Port of Entry in Ridgefield. (Photo courtesy of WSP Trooper Will Finn) Photo Gallery

A driver who fell asleep at the wheel Monday morning and struck a weigh station that’s being renovated suffered a broken neck, according to Washington State Patrol.

The crash happened about 3:45 a.m. on northbound Interstate 5 near Milepost 15.4, about a mile north of Ridgefield, emergency dispatch logs show.

The driver, whose identity has not yet been released, entered into the Port of Entry in Ridgefield and veered into a guardrail. His vehicle then rolled and struck a light pole, and something subsequently crashed into the scale house, shattering a window, Trooper Will Finn said.

The weigh station, built in the 1960s, closed Oct. 19, 2018, to undergo a $3.7 million renovation project, according to Columbian archives. The checkpoint looks for several potential violations from truckers, from improperly secured cargo to failure to log enough sleep hours. But the most common is overweight violations.

So new, it’s not even open yet!!! Ribbon cutting will definitely be delayed!” Finn posted on Twitter.

The driver was taken to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver. Troopers initially thought he suffered minor injuries; however, they later learned he suffered a broken neck. Finn said the man is in the hospital’s intensive care unit.

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