Oceanside

An Encinitas woman was killed and four other people were injured in a nine-car accident Wednesday that forced the closure of three lanes of northbound Interstate 5 for almost three hours.

Mary Elaine Keeland-Hollins, 30, was pronounced dead at the scene about 30 minutes after the 7:40 a.m. accident. Deputy Coroner William Leard said.

Hollins, a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service, is survived by her husband, Charles, and an 8-year-old son, Leard said.

The accident was caused when a southbound tanker truck went out of control near the Las Flores Drive exit and jack-knifed across the center divider into the northbound freeway, the California Highway Patrol reported.

The driver of the empty tanker, whose name was unavailable, said he lost control of the truck when he swerved to avoid a car that cut in front of him, a CHP spokeswoman said.

In turn, Keeland-Hollins’ vehicle spun around and collided with another northbound vehicle when she swerved to avoid the sprawling tanker, the spokeswoman said.

The driver of the other vehicle, Martha Anderson, of Oceanside, and the three other people injured were treated at Tri-City Hospital and then released.