PHOTO COURTESY OF OSP
An Idaho man survived being struck by a car and falling 50 feet into the Snake River Monday morning in an accident on Interstate 84.
Around 6 a.m., the Oregon State Police responded to a report of a multi-vehicle crash on I-84 near milepost 378 on the Snake River Bridge between Oregon and Idaho. According to the OSP, a 2008 Chevrolet Colorado was traveling westbound on I-84 when it lost control on the bridge after hitting black ice. The Chevrolet impacted the bridge and came to rest on the shoulder of the bridge. The driver of the Chevrolet, Steven S. Bailey, 41, of Middleton, Idaho was not injured.
A passing motorist, Steven Arrasmith, 34, of Mesa, Idaho, stopped his 2016 Jeep behind Bailey’s vehicle to offer assistance. Another westbound vehicle, a 2008 Hyundai, lost control on the ice and struck the back of the Jeep causing it to lurch forward. Arrasmith, who was now standing on the bridge, was struck by his Jeep and thrown over the bridge railing. He managed to hang on for a short period, despite having a serious injury, before falling about 50 feet into the Snake River below.
In the darkness, Arrasmith managed to shed heavier clothing and swam to a nearby island. First responders could hear him yelling for help soon after rescued him. Arrasmith was taken to Saint Alphonsus Medical Center in Ontario for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. The driver of the Hyundai, Jim D. Hudnall, 68, of Walla Walla, Wash.,, received minor injuries.
OSP was assisted by the Ontario Police Department, Payette County Sheriff’s Office, Ontario Fire and Rescue, Payette Fire and Rescue and the Oregon Department of Transportation.
