Ephrata man seriously hurt in rear-end crash
An Ephrata man was injured after a collision along I-90 near Ellensburg Thursday.
ELLENSBURG - An Ephrata man was seriously injured Thursday afternoon after reportedly rear ending a semi-truck and trailer on Interstate 90 about 19 miles east of Ellensburg in Kittitas County.
About 2:05 p.m. Thursday, Jeff D. Wilcox, 57, was driving west in the center lane of I-90 near Ellensburg when he reportedly rear-ended a semi-truck and trailer after the driver of the semi-truck moved from the right lane to the center lane. The semi changed lanes to avoid hitting a slow moving disabled vehicle that was smoking heavily, according to the State Patrol.
Wilcox, driving a 2003 Ford E350 cargo van, was seriously injured and had to be airlifted by MedStar to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. According to the State Patrol, Wilcox was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the collision. His vehicle was reported totaled.
Francisco A. Tapia Vazquez, 33, of Yakima, was the driver of the 2001 Volvo semi truck and trailer. Tapia Vasquez was reportedly uninjured in the crash.
The right two lanes of I-90 near the collision were blocked for several hours.
The State Patrol is still investigating the cause of the crash.