Fort Lewis soldier arrested in alleged road-rage incident

Road rage was a factor, authorities said, in a man crashing his pickup and getting arrested for five offenses.

About 4:50 p.m. Sunday, Wesley F. Irons, 23, a Fort Lewis-based soldier, crashed his 2004 Ford F-150 on Interstate 5 in the barrier between state Highway 500 and the Main Street exit in the northbound lanes.

"According to the passenger, there was a road rage involved," said State Patrol Trooper Andrey Liksakov.

Irons was arrested on suspicion of DUI, reckless driving, reckless endangerment, resisting arrest and third-degree assault, Liksakov said.

"He actually tried to assault a paramedic on the way to the hospital," Liksakov said.

Firefighters had to help Liksakov and Sgt. Roy Rhine restrain him. At one point, a Taser was used on Irons.

Liksakov said Irons' girlfriend, Rachel Nease, 30, of Longview, told him that Irons and a man in a Toyota pickup were cutting each other off on the freeway. The driver of the Toyota was not found.

Irons was in the emergency room of Southwest Washington Medical Center Sunday night. Nease also was in the hospital

An accident happened about the same time in the southbound lanes nearby, Liksakov said. Two people were taken to the hospital with what was believed to be nonlife-threatening injuries.

Liksakov said he thought that accident was caused by people gawking at the northbound mishap.