GHN News - Carol Forsloff - La
Grande, Oregon, nestled in the valley and surrounded by mountains,
already has icy conditions on its roads, creating four traffic accidents
just on Friday this week.
Ice
on the road was a contributing factor in at least four traffic crashes
Friday morning along Interstate 84 in the Ladd Canyon area east of La
Grande. In one of the crashes, an unoccupied Oregon State Police (OSP)
patrol car and a La Grande Rural Fire District emergency response
vehicle were struck.
According to OSP Senior Trooper Kyle Hove, on November 12, 2010 at
approximately 8:20 a.m. OSP and La Grande area fire and ambulance
personnel responded to a report of a crash westbound on Interstate 84
near milepost 270. Emergency responders arrived at the scene located at
the top of a westbound on ramp and parked their vehicles to check for
any injuries and start the investigation.
The OSP trooper parked his patrol car off the travel lanes between the
westbound traffic lane and freeway onramp. While the trooper was out of
the patrol car talking to a driver of an involved passenger car, the
driver of a westbound pickup towing a trailer lost control. The trailer
overturned onto its side, separated from the pickup and slid into the
driver side of the OSP patrol car. The pickup struck the left front
corner of a La Grande Rural Fire District vehicle and rolled onto its
side.
The pickup's driver, William S. Hardrath, age 24, from Baker City, was not injured. He was cited for Careless Driving.
The driver of the vehicle involved in the first crash was transported by ambulance to a local hospital with minor injuries.
No emergency responders on scene were injured.
The westbound lanes were restricted to one lane of travel for about one hour during the investigations and scene clearance.
OSP troopers were assisted by La Grande Fire Department, La Grande Rural Fire District, and ODOT.
Winter weather conditions can make driving dangerous for anyone,
especially around La Grande, Oregon, where ice and snow become a part of
ordinary life from late fall until early spring. If you are traveling
in the area, OSP and ODOT urge travelers to:
* Be prepared and watchful for changing highway conditions.
* Inspect your vehicle before you get on the road. Make sure your
wipers, lights, battery, tires and brakes are working properly.
* Allow more time to reach your destination. In severe weather, closures and crashes can cause long delays.
* Drive cautiously and wear your safety belt.
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