By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
A motorist who was reportedly driving under the influence was hospitalized after she ran into a bulldozer in a freeway construction zone north of Centralia last night.
The 1993 Dodge Dakota driven by a 51-year-old Seattle woman was totaled but the John Deere “crawler tractor” it hit was undamaged, according to the Washington State Patrol. The bulldozer operator was reportedly unhurt.
A trooper and aid were called just after 8 p.m. to the collision just north of the Lewis-Thurston county line.
The responding trooper reported Janey P. Dalton, 51, was northbound and attempting to change lanes when she lost control of her pickup truck and struck several construction barrels before hitting the bulldozer.
Dalton sustained minor lacerations and was taken to Providence Centralia Hospital, according to the state patrol.
The driver of the bulldozer was Scott Haskins, 38, of Olympia. He works for the Department of Transportation’s prime contractor on the Interstate 5 widening project, Tri-State Construction Inc. out of Bellevue, according to a DOT spokesperson.
The trooper indicated the cause was driving under the influence and an unsafe lane change. Charges are pending, according to the patrol.
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This news story was updated at 2:46 p.m. on Tuesday Sept. 14, 2010
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter