Local briefly

Published 11:15 pm Sunday, February 17, 2008

Accident near Coupeville injures three

COUPEVILLE — Three people were taken by helicopter to a Seattle hospital after a two-car collision on Highway 20 Sunday morning two miles south of Coupeville, officials reported.

The crash caused state troopers and the state Department of Transportation to set up detours for both north and southbound traffic for more than two hours after the 8:30 a.m. crash.

The occupants of one car were identified as Ronald and Julie Wilhelm, both 50, of Oak Harbor. He was in critical condition Sunday night at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Julie Wilhelm was in serious condition, a Harborview nursing supervisor said.

The second car was driven by Donald Brown, 59, of Coupeville. Brown was in stable condition, at the same hospital, the nursing supervisor said.

The State Patrol said the Wilhelm car was northbound on Highway 20 when it went out of control on a patch of ice and crossed the center line, the Patrol said.

Smokey Point: Car rolls on I-5 on Friday

A northbound car crashed and rolled over about 5:30 p.m. Friday, causing an hourlong traffic snarl for I-5’s northbound lanes.

Marysville fire officials said nobody was seriously hurt in the one-car accident, although one person was taken to a hospital as a precaution.

The accident happened just south of the 172nd Street NE exit ramp, officials said. The Washington State Patrol said troopers cleared the area by about 6:30 p.m.

From Herald staff reports