September 27, 2021 9:30 a.m. 

A series of crashes initially stopped freeway traffic on a section of Interstate Five, and ultimately slowed traffic on the road for hours early Monday.

A report from Oregon State Police said at 12:10 a.m. a commercial vehicle was southbound about seven miles south of Cottage Grove when the operator lost control while negotiating a downhill curve. The vehicle collided with the metal guard rail along the right shoulder, then slid into the center median before coming to a final rest. The concrete barrier was pushed into the northbound lanes.

A few minutes later troopers responded to a multiple vehicle crash in the northbound lanes. Several concrete barriers were in the lanes, blocking both northbound lanes. A van had come around a corner and crashed into the barriers before ending up in a ditch. The driver of a pickup with a U-Haul trailer tried to avoid the barriers but could not. Both vehicles sustained heavy damage. The trailer rolled onto its side, also receiving serious damage.

No injuries were reported. All the vehicles had to be towed from the scene. One lane of the freeway southbound and one lane northbound were closed for several hours while the damage was cleaned up.