News Release from: Clackamas Co. Sheriff's Office
Dump truck hauling fully loaded flatbed trailer crashes -- causing extensive damage to Oregon City bridge
Posted: March 15, 2010, 9:32 p.m.
(All photos and video provided courtesy the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office.)
Please refer to Clackamas County Sheriff's Office Case #10-7998
On Monday, March 15, 2010 at 6:19 p.m., a dump truck and driver reportedly careened off a bridge over Abernathy Creek on S. Maple Lane Road, landing in the shallow body of water below.
Citizens who witnessed the crash and pulled the injured driver from the cab of the wrecked truck. The conscious and breathing driver was then airlifted to Oregon Health & Science University Hospital (OHSU) in Portland.
Investigating Clackamas County Sheriff's Office deputies report that the driver said his brakes failed while he was driving his 1987 Ford Model TT dump truck -- which was hauling a flatbed trailer loaded with large pieces of concrete and other miscellaneous heavy debris.
The injured driver is identified as Steve A. Oberson, 47, of Oregon City. The wrecked truck is registered to Oberson Excavating Incorporated, located on Holcomb Boulevard in Oregon City.
The dump truck reportedly crashed into the guardrail of the bridge, causing extensive structural damage to the bridge. A Clackamas County bridge inspector was summoned to the scene to examine the structural integrity of the damaged bridge.
According to a deputy on-scene, "The impact of the truck into the bridge was so severe, the rear-view mirror of the truck was found embedded into a portion of this bridge's guardrail that was ripped from the bridge upon impact."
Motorists can anticipate this portion of S. Maple Lane Road in Oregon City -- between S. Fergusson Road and S. Waldo Road -- to be closed to all vehicle traffic while emergency crews clear the roadway, extract the vehicle and trailer from the creek bed and evaluate the reliability of the damaged bridge. It's unknown at this time when this stretch of roadway will reopen to traffic.
Clackamas Fire District #1 and American Medical Response were on-scene to aid in the medical transportation of this injured driver by packaging the patient for transport and securing a landing zone. In addition to controlling the scene until Clackamas County Road Department personnel arrived to control vehicular traffic.
The Department of Environmental Services responded to the scene to help contain the diesel fuel spilled into swift-flowing Abernathy Creek.
This remains an active traffic-crash investigation conducted by the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office. No citations were issued, and the driver was lawfully wearing his seat belt at the time of the crash.
Please refer to Clackamas County Sheriff's Office Case #10-7998.
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Contact Info: Jim Strovink, Detective
Public Information Officer
Clackamas County Sheriff's Office