Two Crashes Leave I-5 Congested Near Wilsonville

Field-trip buses from 10 Salem-Keizer schools returning from Portland this afternoon may be delayed because of traffic on I-5: Auburn, Lamb, Pringle, Hallman, Sumpter, Richmond, Salem Heights, Candalaria, Yoshikai and South High Preschool.

Photo courtesy: TVFR

(WILSONVILLE, Ore. ) - Southbound Interstate 5 remains congested at this hour due to two motor vehicle accidents that happened around 11:15 AM this morning near Wilsonville.

Firefighters arrived to find two vehicles: a Toyota Forerunner, which had gone into the median and rolled several times before resting on its side near barrier cables, and an Acura Integra which had gone off the freeway on the right shoulder, driven through hedges and stopped near Boones Ferry Road.

One of the first bystanders on scene was off-duty Captain Leonard Damian with Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue who had been travelling northbound on I-5. Captain Damian, along with other good Samaritans, helped stabilize the trapped victims inside the Toyota Forerunner. Captain Damian also requested resources from dispatch, including LifeFlight.

Once firefighters arrived, they immediately began assessing the medical condition of the two trapped occupants in the Toyota Forerunner. After stabilizing the vehicle, firefighters continued to provide medical care to the trapped victims while another crew of firefighters used heavy equipment to cut and pry portions of the vehicle's roof.

Once safely removed from the vehicle, one of the victims was flown by LifeFlight to OHSU and another was transported by ground ambulance to Legacy Meridian Park Hospital.

A total of nineteen fire personnel responded to this incident. Firefighters and police officers contended with a number of hazards on scene, including passersby who slowed to take pictures of the scene with their cell phones, endangering emergency crews and other drivers.

Coincidentally, some of the firefighters who responded to this call had just finished a training exercise which involved crushed cars to simulate a crash.

Cassandra Ulven states, "Firefighters constantly train to sharpen their rescue skills and patient-care to ensure the best possible outcome for people who experience unfortunate accidents such as today's in Wilsonville."