Emergency crews worked for two hours to extricate the driver of a truck involved in a single car crash on Cascade Highway NE this morning.
Marion County Sr. Deputies Skip Lumley and Dave Wagner received the call at 6:42am. They located the crash in the 2400 block of Cascade Highway NE near Egan Lane NE.
The driver, identified as Mark A McKellar, 51, of Salem was trapped inside his 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche. He was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash and the airbags of his truck had deployed.
Witnesses reported that McKellar was traveling northbound on Cascade Hwy NE at a speed of 55 mph. Near Sunnyside Road, he suddenly stopped in the roadway, causing vehicles behind him to slow rapidly. Then as quickly as he stopped, he started again and drove off at a high rate of speed. The Avalanche crested a rise in the roadway, but failed to negotiate the right hand turn as it came over the crest. McKellar's truck left the roadway, striking a high voltage power pole and coming to rest against a large tree. It appeared his truck was airborne when it struck the tree chafing the bark that was 8' above the ground. It came to rest near Beaver Creek, at the bottom of a ravine.
Medics and Firefighters from Silverton and Sublimity extricated McKellar from the truck. He was flown by a Life Flight helicopter to the Salem Hospital. His injuries were very serious, but we have no current report on his condition.
Sr. Deputy Wagner determined that excessive speed for the conditions was a contributing factor in this crash. It was still dark at the time of the crash with fog and mist dampening the roadway.
Public Works crews closed Cascade Hwy from Kaufman Rd NE to Sunnyview Rd NE. It will remain closed until the power lines are rendered safe and the truck is winched form the ravine where it came to rest. At this time, we have no estimate for when the roadway will open.
McKellar had no passengers in his truck and no other cars were involved. Witnesses stood by offering comfort until emergency crews arrived.
Photos from the crash scene are attached. The crash remains under investigation.
Marion County Sr. Deputies Skip Lumley and Dave Wagner received the call at 6:42am. They located the crash in the 2400 block of Cascade Highway NE near Egan Lane NE.
The driver, identified as Mark A McKellar, 51, of Salem was trapped inside his 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche. He was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash and the airbags of his truck had deployed.
Witnesses reported that McKellar was traveling northbound on Cascade Hwy NE at a speed of 55 mph. Near Sunnyside Road, he suddenly stopped in the roadway, causing vehicles behind him to slow rapidly. Then as quickly as he stopped, he started again and drove off at a high rate of speed. The Avalanche crested a rise in the roadway, but failed to negotiate the right hand turn as it came over the crest. McKellar's truck left the roadway, striking a high voltage power pole and coming to rest against a large tree. It appeared his truck was airborne when it struck the tree chafing the bark that was 8' above the ground. It came to rest near Beaver Creek, at the bottom of a ravine.
Medics and Firefighters from Silverton and Sublimity extricated McKellar from the truck. He was flown by a Life Flight helicopter to the Salem Hospital. His injuries were very serious, but we have no current report on his condition.
Sr. Deputy Wagner determined that excessive speed for the conditions was a contributing factor in this crash. It was still dark at the time of the crash with fog and mist dampening the roadway.
Public Works crews closed Cascade Hwy from Kaufman Rd NE to Sunnyview Rd NE. It will remain closed until the power lines are rendered safe and the truck is winched form the ravine where it came to rest. At this time, we have no estimate for when the roadway will open.
McKellar had no passengers in his truck and no other cars were involved. Witnesses stood by offering comfort until emergency crews arrived.
Photos from the crash scene are attached. The crash remains under investigation.