Northbound Interstate 5 was briefly closed to traffic in Centralia on Thursday morning after a log truck struck a vehicle and lost its load, according to the Washington State Patrol.
Michael C. Smith, 68, of Menlo was driving a loaded log truck north in the right lane at about 11 a.m. near mile marker 82 when a pickup truck pulling a camper stopped for traffic. Smith failed to stop and struck the trailer, which was driven by Gregory E. Foumal, of Scappoose, Oregon.
The log truck’s trailer rolled, spilling its load of logs.
Smith and Foumal were not injured. Both were wearing seat belts.
Both vehicles were damaged but were driven away after the crash.
The Washington State Patrol cited failure to yield as the cause of the crash.
The freeway reopened at about 2 p.m., but not before motorists attempted to bypass the crash site by taking local roads through Chehalis and Centralia, creating heavy traffic at times.
The crash came as roadwork by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) near the Lewis and Thurston county line slowed traffic on northbound Interstate 5. The project, which began on Monday and was set to be completed on Thursday, created 10-mile, two-hour backups in the northbound lanes at times this week.
