GARDINER — A three-car collision about 6:30 p.m. Saturday backed up traffic about 10 miles in either direction on U.S. Highway 101 at Gardiner.
Two people were injured and treated at the scene, a news release from the Washington State Patrol said.
Traffic was forced to one lane for about an hour, Washington State Patrol said.
Zachary Neal, 20, of Crofton, Md., driving a 2004 Honda, and Julia Varriano, 24, of Lynnwood, driving a 1998 Mazda were stopped in the southbound lane for slow traffic.
Edward Stadtmueller, 22, of Port Townsend, driving a 2006 Toyota pickup hit Varriano’s car from behind, pushing it into Neal’s car, State Patrol said.
All the drivers and passengers in the vehicles were wearing seat belts and neither alcohol nor drugs were suspected as causes of the crash, State Patrol said.
Stadtmueller was cited with speeding too fast to avoid a collision, Washington State Patrol said.
Neal had an abrasion to his leg, which was treated at the scene, and Daniel Scarfone, 20, of Port Townsend, who was a passenger in Stadtmueller’s vehicle, had a sore back, which was treated at the scene as well.
Varriano also had a 2-year-old passenger, Victor Thames of Lynnwood, and he was not injured, Washington State Patrol said.
