One person was seriously injured Thursday in a pileup on Interstate 84 involving at least 17 vehicles.
Oregon State Troopers from the Pendleton area command responded at 12:35 p.m. on Sept. 21 to a multi-vehicle crash, with at least one commercial motor vehicle fully engulfed in flames on westbound I-84, near milepost 227.
The crash, according to troopers on the scene, involved at least 17 separate vehicles. Three of the vehicles were completely destroyed by fire – two commercial motor vehicles and one passenger car.
The OSP said one motorist was transported to the hospital with serious injuries and later flown to Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland, Wash., while several other motorists suffered minor injuries.
According to the OSP, the interstate was closed for approximately eight hours as the vehicles were removed, and the area restored to allow safe travel.
The OSP said the preliminary investigation determined the contributing factors to the crash were limited visibility due to fog and vehicle speed. The OSP is encouraging motorists to drive slower when visibility is limited or roadway conditions merit reduced speeds.
The OSP was assisted by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation Police Department, fire, and ambulance; Pendleton Fire and Ambulance; the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office; the Echo Fire Department; and the Oregon Department of Transportation.
