Police And Fire Crews Kept Busy With Summer Crashes

On July 24^th at around 1:38 am Depoe Bay Fire responded to an early morning single car crash on Hwy 101 at Otter Crest. A Toyota Tacoma had left the roadway and gone down an embankment, striking a tree and trapping the driver inside. Due to the severity of the crash, heavy extrication was required. Firefighters worked for over an hour to free the victim using specialized rescue tools. Once freed, the patient was brought up the embankment, treated by paramedics, and transported to Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital for further care. Hwy 101 was closed for an extended period to allow responders to work safely. Depoe Bay fire was assisted during the resuce by Newport Fire, North Lincoln Fire and Rescue, Oregon State Police and Pacific West Ambulance.

On July 22 at approximately 7:38 pm OSP was dispatched to a single vehicle crash that occurred on highway 34 near mile post 1. State Police Trooper Wertz upon arrival found a white Subaru Outback was westbound and negotiating a curve when it crossed the opposing lane and crashed in the eastbound ditch. The 79-year old driver exhibited

numerous signs of impairment and performed poorly on Safety Field Sobriety Test's. Afterward she was taken into custody for DUII and transported to Lincoln County Jail where she performed a Breath test that showed she had a blood alcohol content of .20, over twice the legal limit.

On July 24 at approximately 10:45AM a northbound silver Chrysler minivan was stopped on highway 101 to turn left into a driveway north of Yachats, Oregon. A blue Subaru, also northbound, did not stop in time and collided with the rear end of the minivan. The driver of the Subaru, and the driver and a passenger of the Chrysler were transported to Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital for evaluation. Lincoln County Sheriff's Office, ODOT, Central Coast Fire and Yachats Fire assisted at the scene. The driver of the Subaru was issued a citation for following too closely.