4 people escape vehicle that crashed in rural Josephine County

JOSEPHINE COUNTY, Ore. – Trees are being credited with keeping a vehicle full of people from rolling deeper into a canyon in the Rogue River Siskiyou National Forest.

Rural Metro Fire said Wednesday morning, a vehicle with four people inside slid on a corner of Shan Creek Road. The vehicle left the roadway and tumbled down a slope, coming to rest with the help of trees.

First responders were able to find the crash scene and worked to extract one person from the wreckage. The other three occupants got out on their own.

According to Rural Metro Fire, the only injury was considered non-life-threatening. The injured person was taken to Three Rivers Hospital for evaluation.

Rural Metro Fire said, “Anyone venturing into the mountains must maintain constant situational awareness of location, as well as where cell service is available (or not), to ensure a quick response in case of trouble. Incidents above the snow line add complexity and inevitable delays to any response.”