An 81-year-old Lacey woman was hospitalized Sunday following a five-car collision on Interstate 5 in Chehalis, according to the Washington State Patrol (WSP).
Two drivers, Daniel Perez, 35, of Toledo, and Rechson Sachuo, 35, of Vancouver, were cited by troopers for allegedly initiating the series of collisions.
According to a WSP press memo, the incident began in the southbound lanes of I-5 near milepost 80 at about 3:10 p.m. Sunday when a 2011 GMC Acadia driven by Sachuo rear-ended a 2012 Kia Forte that had slowed for traffic.
The Forte then struck the 2014 Subaru Outback in front of it.
Shortly after the initial collisions, a 2020 Ford Edge attempting to slow behind Sachuo’s Acadia was rear-ended by Perez’s 2004 Toyota Tundra.
The Edge then struck the Acadia.
The driver of the Edge, Lacey resident Judy C. Flaskerud, was transported to Providence Centralia Hospital with undisclosed injuries.
WSP listed the cause of the collisions as “following too close” and indicated no drugs or alcohol were involved in the incident.
All 13 of the vehicles’ occupants were reportedly wearing seat belts at the time of the collisions.
Of the five vehicles, only the Forte was reported as totaled.
