The driver of a Subaru Outback station wagon was sent to Whidbey General Hospital after being rear ended by the driver of a Ford truck on Monday morning.

Around 9 a.m. Nov. 30, Frank McIntyre of Oak Harbor was stopped in the southbound lane of Highway 525 at the intersection of Scott Road in Freeland. Washington State Patrol Trooper Dave Martin said this type of crash was “run of the mill” along the highway where there is no left turn lane.

A car ahead of McIntyre was waiting for northbound traffic to pass to make a left turn onto Scott Road. Candace Burt of Bellingham was southbound on the highway in a Ford F-350 truck and was unable to stop in time to avoid rear-ending McIntyre’s car; her vehicle clipped his rear driver-side bumper.

McIntyre was secured onto a gurney and transported by ambulance to Whidbey General Hospital, said South Whidbey Fire/EMS Deputy Chief Jon Beck. Burt was cited for speed too fast for conditions.

“It doesn’t appear to be slick, but it is,” Beck said.

Temperatures have consistently dropped to below freezing in recent weeks, with roads becoming slick. The conditions may have been a mitigating factor, said Martin, but drivers are still responsible for maintaining both safe distances and speeds.

“People need to increase their distances and slow down,” he said.

Even when the roads are treated with de-icer, they still become wet, which can decrease braking speed and distance.

Traffic was restricted to one lane for about 20 minutes.