Ten wildland firefighters hurt in Oregon van crash
PRINEVILLE, Ore. - A crash injured 10 wildland firefighters after the driver fell asleep at the wheel and the van drifted into oncoming traffic, hitting a semi truck, Oregon State Police said.
The contract crew from Lava River Forestry out of Salem was en route to help fight the Briley Mountain Fire near John Day.
The crash happened around 2:15 a.m. Tuesday between Prineville and Redmond.
By mid-day Tuesday, 9 of the 10 people injured in the crash had been released from the hospital.
One of the injured people, Marcelino Cuesta Romero, 39, is in critical condition at St. Charles Medical Center in Bend.
The crash happened when Jeremy A. Miesner, 35, of Salem fell asleep while driving a van eastbound on Highway 126E, Oregon State Police said. Police later cited Miesner for Failure to Drive Within a Lane.
The van drifted into the westbound lane and crashed into the left front side of a Freightliner truck driven by Scott Ramage, 48, from Washington.
The van sustained major driver side damage, and all 10 occupants were taken to the hospital.
The truck's driver and 39-year old male sleeping passenger were not injured.
Medics took the injured to three different regional hospital by both air and ground ambulance.
Transported by ambulance to Pioneer Memorial Hospital in Prineville, where they were treated and released for minor injuries, were :
The driver, Miesner
Christopher Reed, 29, of Sheridan
Rogelia Saimc, 22, of Salem
Jesus Medera, 38, of Independence
Transported by air ambulance and ground ambulance to St. Charles Medical Center in Bend were:
Pedro Lemus Ramos, 37, of Salem
Manuel Perez Abriz, 40, of Salem
Marcelino Cuesta Romero, 39, hometown not known
Transported by ground ambulance to St. Charles Medical Center in Redmond where they were treated and released for minor injuries:
Jovita Romero, 36, of Woodburn
Jose Salas, 20, of Salem
Jerson Mendoza, 33, of Salem
Transportation to and from fires can be dangerous for wildland firefighters.
In 2002, 5 Oregon contract wildland firefighters died when their van crashed near Rifle, Colo.
A 2008 helicopter crash in northern California killed 9 firefighters from an Oregon company.
The contract crew from Lava River Forestry out of Salem was en route to help fight the Briley Mountain Fire near John Day.
The crash happened around 2:15 a.m. Tuesday between Prineville and Redmond.
By mid-day Tuesday, 9 of the 10 people injured in the crash had been released from the hospital.
One of the injured people, Marcelino Cuesta Romero, 39, is in critical condition at St. Charles Medical Center in Bend.
The crash happened when Jeremy A. Miesner, 35, of Salem fell asleep while driving a van eastbound on Highway 126E, Oregon State Police said. Police later cited Miesner for Failure to Drive Within a Lane.
The van drifted into the westbound lane and crashed into the left front side of a Freightliner truck driven by Scott Ramage, 48, from Washington.
The van sustained major driver side damage, and all 10 occupants were taken to the hospital.
The truck's driver and 39-year old male sleeping passenger were not injured.
Medics took the injured to three different regional hospital by both air and ground ambulance.
Transported by ambulance to Pioneer Memorial Hospital in Prineville, where they were treated and released for minor injuries, were :
The driver, Miesner
Christopher Reed, 29, of Sheridan
Rogelia Saimc, 22, of Salem
Jesus Medera, 38, of Independence
Transported by air ambulance and ground ambulance to St. Charles Medical Center in Bend were:
Pedro Lemus Ramos, 37, of Salem
Manuel Perez Abriz, 40, of Salem
Marcelino Cuesta Romero, 39, hometown not known
Transported by ground ambulance to St. Charles Medical Center in Redmond where they were treated and released for minor injuries:
Jovita Romero, 36, of Woodburn
Jose Salas, 20, of Salem
Jerson Mendoza, 33, of Salem
Transportation to and from fires can be dangerous for wildland firefighters.
In 2002, 5 Oregon contract wildland firefighters died when their van crashed near Rifle, Colo.
A 2008 helicopter crash in northern California killed 9 firefighters from an Oregon company.
