March 9, 2023 3:55 a.m. 

One person was taken to the hospital and southbound traffic on Interstate 5 was halted after a multi-vehicle wreck on Tuesday afternoon.

A report from Oregon State Police said just before 2:30 p.m. troopers responded to the accident about 7 miles south of Cottage Grove. The driver of a semi-truck and trailer in the northbound lanes lost control due to a hailstorm and crashed into the center barrier, forcing it into the southbound lanes. The driver of a southbound sedan was unable to avoid the barrier and crashed into it. In an attempt to avoid that vehicle, an SUV crashed into the bank on the west side of the roadway.

The driver of the sedan was transported to PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at Riverbend in Springfield. Crews with the Oregon Department of Transportation responded to assist with traffic control, contain a fuel spill that came from the semi, and to replace the concrete barriers. The southbound lanes were completely blocked for approximately 1 hour until the vehicles and barriers could be moved enough to open one lane.

All the vehicles had to be towed from the scene.