UPDATE: SERIOUS INJURY COLLISION INVOLVING TRAIN AND PICKUP WEST OF WESTFIR IN LANE COUNTY (PHOTO)
News Release from Oregon State Police
Posted on FlashAlert: August 28th, 2014 7:39 AM
Oregon State Police (OSP) is continuing the investigation into Wednesday morning's serious injury collision involving a train and pickup west of Westfir in Lane County. The critically injured person's name is released in this update.
On August 27, 2014 at approximately 10:45 a.m., a Union Pacific Railroad train was traveling westbound when its operator saw a pickup stopped on the tracks between downed crossing gate arms at the US Forest Service Road 5821 crossing about two miles west of Westfir. The train's operator couldn't come to a stop and struck the pickup which came to rest off the side of the tracks.
The pickup's 52-year old driver from Westfir was seriously injured and entrapped in the pickup. Fire personnel from Oakridge Fire & EMS extricated the occupant and he was taken by ground ambulance to Oakridge Airport. He was then taken by LifeFlight to Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend.
Initial investigation found no malfunction with the crossing gate arms and that the vehicle was intentionally stopped on the railroad tracks prior to the train approaching.
Help is available for community members struggling from a mental health crisis and/or suicidal thoughts. Suicide is preventable. If you or someone you know needs help with suicidal thoughts or is otherwise in an immediate mental health crisis, professionals are on call to handle mental health emergencies 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
OSP was assisted by US Forest Service law enforcement, Oakridge Fire & EMS, and Union Pacific Railroad representatives.
Photograph - Oregon State Police
### www.oregon.gov/OSP ###
On August 27, 2014 at approximately 10:45 a.m., a Union Pacific Railroad train was traveling westbound when its operator saw a pickup stopped on the tracks between downed crossing gate arms at the US Forest Service Road 5821 crossing about two miles west of Westfir. The train's operator couldn't come to a stop and struck the pickup which came to rest off the side of the tracks.
The pickup's 52-year old driver from Westfir was seriously injured and entrapped in the pickup. Fire personnel from Oakridge Fire & EMS extricated the occupant and he was taken by ground ambulance to Oakridge Airport. He was then taken by LifeFlight to Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend.
Initial investigation found no malfunction with the crossing gate arms and that the vehicle was intentionally stopped on the railroad tracks prior to the train approaching.
Help is available for community members struggling from a mental health crisis and/or suicidal thoughts. Suicide is preventable. If you or someone you know needs help with suicidal thoughts or is otherwise in an immediate mental health crisis, professionals are on call to handle mental health emergencies 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
OSP was assisted by US Forest Service law enforcement, Oakridge Fire & EMS, and Union Pacific Railroad representatives.
Photograph - Oregon State Police
### www.oregon.gov/OSP ###
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