PORT ANGELES — Two vehicles that collided at U.S. Highway 101 and Monroe Road on Thursday morning but ended up at different locations, both facing the wrong way, tied up westbound traffic on the highway for more than two hours, according to an incident memo from the Washington State Patrol.
The incident began at 9:30 a.m. when a 2004 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck driven by Philip M. LaCroix, 79, of Sequim was eastbound on U.S. Highway 101 approaching Monroe Road.
A 2020 Chrysler Pacifica van driven by Alexandra E. Zuzich, 31, of Port Angeles was eastbound on U.S. Highway 101 approaching Monroe Road and was slowing to make a right turn, the memo said.
LaCroix failed to stop and his Silverado collided into the back of Zuzich’s Pacifica.
The Pacifica came to rest on Monroe Road facing the wrong way.
The Silverado continued eastbound, left the roadway near North Brook Avenue, crossed all lanes of travel and came to rest blocking the right lane of westbound U.S. Highway 101 facing the wrong way.
LaCroix and Zuzich both were taken to Olympic Medical Center in Port Angeles with unspecified injuries. Both were wearing seatbelts. Charges against LaCroix are under investigation, according to the State Patrol.
According to OMC spokeswoman Bobby Beeman, LaCroix was stabilized and transferred to another hospital and Zuzich was treated and discharged.
A 4-year-old girl who was a passenger in the Pacifica was taken to Olympic Medical Center as a precautionary measure, the memo said. A 14-month-old boy who also was a Pacifica passenger was not injured. Both were in appropriate child seats, according to the memo.
Both vehicles had reportable damage and both were impounded. Traffic was reportedly backed up until about noon as far as the top of the Morse Creek grade.
Clallam County Sheriff’s deputies assisted with traffic control on Monroe Road, Clallam County Chief Criminal Deputy Amy Bundy wrote in a Thursday afternoon email.
State Department of Ecology investigators examined the area where the pickup truck crashed but didn’t report any negative impacts to Lees Creek, DOE Communications Manager Mugdha Flores wrote in a Thursday afternoon email.
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Reporter Brian Gawley can be reached at brian.gawley@peninsuladailynews.com.
A truck rests against a guardrail on U.S. Highway 101 west of North Brook Avenue at Lees Creek east of Port Angeles on Thursday. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)
