DRIVERS ESCAPE INJURY IN WRONG WAY DRIVER-INVOLVED CRASH SOUTH OF COTTAGE GROVE
Posted: February 13th, 2010 5:33 PM
Oregon State Police (OSP) troopers credit a commercial truck driver's actions in preventing potential serious injury to both he and a wrong driver Friday evening on Interstate 5 three mile south of Curtain in Douglas County. The wrong way driver was cited for Reckless Driving and released to family members who had reported him earlier to police as missing/endangered.
On February 12, 2010 at 8:45 p.m. OSP troopers and Douglas County deputies investigated a wrong way driver-involved head-on crash in the northbound lanes of Interstate 5 near milepost 159. Prior to the crash a Douglas County deputy parked on the northbound shoulder of Interstate 5 near milepost 162 saw a wrong way Chrysler PT Cruiser pass the patrol car southbound in the northbound lanes. The deputy immediately notified OSP troopers who began heading northbound to try and intercept the wrong way driver.
Before finding the wrong way driver, identified as DAVID A. MERSDORF, age 76, from Fall Creek, the front driver side area of the PT Cruiser crashed into the left side rear axle area of a flatbed semi-trailer pulled northbound by a commercial truck. Prior to the crash the truck's driver, BRYON S. KILMER, age 31, from Salem, slowed down upon seeing the wrong way driver just before the collision.
The deputy arrived about one minute after the crash happened and found that neither driver was injured.
The investigation also indicated MERSDORF was listed as a missing/endangered person by Lane County Sheriff's Office. He was taken into protective custody and transported to Mercy Medical Center for an evaluation. His family was contacted and they responded to the hospital where he was released over to them.
One northbound lane was closed about 45 minutes.
OSP troopers from the Roseburg Area Command office are completing the investigation. Troopers believe MERSDORD entered Interstate 5 in the wrong direction near Cottage Grove.
In addition to Douglas County Sheriff's Office, other assisting agencies were North Douglas Fire and EMS, and ODOT.
No photographs available for release.
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