Driver Seriously Injured on Interstate 5 South of Roseburg

Troopers are attempting to locate a third unidentified vehicle involving in this crash that drove away southbound from the scene.

Photo of scene: Oregon State Police

(ROSEBURG, Ore.) - A Roseburg man was seriously injured Sunday night in a weather-related traffic crash on Interstate 5 south of Roseburg. Police say the man had just returned to his car after a non-injury single vehicle crash when he was struck by a driver and actually ejected from his vehicle.

Troopers are attempting to locate a third unidentified vehicle involving in this crash that drove away southbound from the scene, says Lieutenant Douglas Ladd with Oregon State Police.

He says that just after midnight, 28-year old Jeremy Augusta of Roseburg, was driving a 1987 Volvo four-door southbound on Interstate 5 near mp 115 when he lost control on black ice and snow/slush highway surface and struck the concrete center divider. His car came to rest in the left southbound lane of the freeway at a time when conditions were described as foggy with limited visibility.

Ladd says that after Augusta returned to his car to maneuver it out of the way, his Volvo was struck by a southbound 1995 Dodge Stratus driven by 24-year old Titus Hunt of Citrus Heights, California. As the Volvo spun around from the impact, Augusta was thrown from his car and landed on the highway shoulder in a ditch about 40 feet away.

After the crash, an unknown silver colored van towing a trailer carrying bicycles struck both vehicles and continued southbound without stopping, Ladd said, adding that, "The van's collision with both vehicles did not cause further injury to any of the involved people."

Augusta was seriously injured. He was treated at the scene by paramedics and initially transported to Mercy Medical Center in Roseburg then taken to Legacy Emanuel Hospital in Portland.

Hunt and his passenger, 21-year old Tabitha Hines, both from Citrus Heights, received non-life threatening injuries and were transported to Mercy Medical Center in Roseburg.

Oregon State Police troopers from the Roseburg Area Command office are continuing the investigation. Troopers are currently looking for the van. Anyone with information regarding the van and its driver is asked to call OSP Roseburg Area Command at (541) 440-3334.

No citations have been issued and safety restraint usage has not been determined.

Local emergency responders assisted at the scene.