Witnesses say the driver of a Dodge Durango was traveling at more than 50 mph on West Third Street when it blew through a stop sign at Alder Street, crashing into a truck pulling an enclosed cargo trailer Sunday afternoon and sending three to the hospital.

Third Street is a tight, residential street and Alder Street is the one-way arterial that also carries Highway 101 traffic as it goes through Aberdeen.

Aberdeen Police Commander Dale Green said officers were dispatched to a report of a woman driving recklessly in the 300 block of West Third about 3:17 p.m. Callers reported the driver had driven on the sidewalk and left at a high rate of speed. Arriving officers discovered that a collision had occurred at Third and Alder.

“Numerous witnesses reported the suspect vehicle was driving over 50 mph as it traveled west on Third Street and failed to stop for the stop sign at Alder Street,” said Green. “The suspect vehicle struck a pickup truck towing an enclosed utility trailer. The victim vehicle then careened into the northwest corner of the intersection, striking a fire hydrant and shearing off a light pole before rolling onto its side.”

The Aberdeen Fire Department was dispatched at 3:21 p.m. Two Aberdeen Fire Department medic units were returning from other emergency calls and were able to get on-scene in under two minutes, said Aberdeen Fire Capt. Dave Swinhart, and found a t-bone wreck partially blocking the northbound lanes of Alder Street. Witnesses reported the crash was so loud it was heard from several blocks away.

One of the victim vehicle occupants had been ejected from the vehicle, said Swinhart. That victim and a passenger were taken to the Harbor Regional Health Community Hospital. A total of two medic units, one command vehicle and one fire engine responded from the Aberdeen Fire Department, while a third medic unit was requested from Hoquiam Fire Department to transport a third patient; in total there were 11 responders on-scene.

“Officers investigated the suspect driver for driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs based on evidence and observations made at the scene,” said Green. “A search warrant was obtained for the driver’s blood. Those results will be pending testing by the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab.”

Information from the criminal investigation will be forwarded when the lab provides results along with the determination of the injuries of the victims in the other vehicle, said Green.

RYAN SPARKS THE DAILY WORLD A two-vehicle wreck in Aberdeen Sunday that sent three people to the hospital is under investigation.