PORT ANGELES — The State Patrol is investigating the cause of a collision west of Port Angeles that injured two men and created a bottleneck on U.S. Highway 101 for five hours.
Olympic Medical Center in Port Angeles reported Saturday that Tarance J. Gilham 43, of Port Angeles, and Brandon C. Melville, 35, also of Port Angeles, were both treated in the emergency room and discharged after the 3:31 p.m. Thursday wreck near the highway’s intersection with Olympic Hot Springs Road.
Gilham’s passenger, a 51-year-old Sequim man, Jeffrey J. Seelye, was not injured.
Neither were passengers in Melville’s car: Ashley B. Melville, 30, and two girls, one 3 years old and the other 11 months.
Drugs or alcohol was involved, the State Patrol said, and charges are under investigation.
Gilham was traveling eastbound when his 2013 Ford F150 pickup crossed the centerline and nearly struck several westbound vehicles, the State Patrol said.
Melville crossed into the eastbound lane in an attempt to avoid colliding with Gilham’s pickup. Gilham swerved back into the eastbound lane and struck Melville’s 2008 Honda Odyssey, the State Patrol said.
Both vehicles came to rest on the eastbound shoulder. The highway was fully or partially blocked for five hours.
Both vehicles were damaged and were towed away.
All involved wore seat belts.
