Crash shuts down Northbound lanes of Interstate 5 early Tuesday morning

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — KOIN 6 News has learned that at least 5 vehicles and a semi were involved in a Tuesday morning crash that has the northbound lanes of Interstate 5 blocked just south of downtown Portland.

According to a spokesperson from TVF&R, it appears that a driver was headed northbound, just south of Lower Boones Ferry road, when they spun out and hit the median. A second car slammed head-on into the first car and at least three other vehicles collided with those two cars. A semi with a trailer jack-knifed to avoid the crash. The driver of the semi needed to be extricated.

In a picture from an off-duty Washington County Sheriff’s Deputy who was on the way to work when they came upon the scene, it is clear that the semi-truck is on its side, blocking several lanes.

TVF&R says there was roughly a foot of standing water on the freeway at the time of the crash that may have contributed to the incident.

It is not clear how long it will take to clear the scene and reopen the highway.

This is a developing story.