A three-vehicle accident on Saturday afternoon on U.S. Highway 2 near Elk sent four people to the hospital.

According to the Washington State Patrol, Jenna Stokesberry, 25, of Chattaroy was attempting to turn onto the highway from Elk-Chattaroy Road when she collided with a northbound 2007 Toyota Avalon driven by Thomas Earle, 63, of Santa Rosa, Calif.  Earle’s vehicle then hit a semi-truck hauling asphalt.

A trailer on the truck tipped over, spilling about 200 gallons of hot asphalt on the highway along with about 150 gallons of diesel fuel.

The accident and clean up closed the northbound lanes of U.S. Highway 2 for more than four hours.

Stokesberry, Earle and two of his passengers were transported to Deaconess Medical Center, where they were all treated and released.