Crews nearly hit by traffic during I-5 crash response

HUGO, Ore. – The emergency response to a rollover crash on Interstate 5 was threatened Monday morning when several drivers failed to heed traffic control signals.

Rural Metro Fire said at 7:33 a.m. a pickup truck rolled over near milepost 64, blocking the slow lane. The one person involved said he wasn’t injured, but he was taken to the hospital to be evaluated.

Emergency crews set up warning signs and flares ahead of the crash scene to alert other motorists. However, visibility was limited and several cars breached the traffic control plan set up by the Oregon Department of Transportation.

According to Rural Metro Fire, a couple of the incidents were near-misses. “This is the second similar near-miss incident experienced by Rural Metro firefighters recently on Interstate 5,” they said. “Inattentiveness and impatience are believed to be contributors.”