PHOTO COURTESY OF OSP
A teenager faces charges following a head-on collision after he fainted when he held his breath while driving through a tunnel near Manning on Sunday.
Four people were injured in the accident that occurred on Highway 26 west of Manning. According to the Oregon State Police, Daniel J. Calhon, 19, of Snohomish, Wash., was traveling westbound on the highway near milepost 40 when he entered a tunnel. Calhon told the OSP that he held his breath while driving into the tunnel and fainted, causing his 1990 Toyota Camry to cross the centerline. The vehicle collided head on with an eastbound 2013 Ford Explorer. Both vehicles then collided into the interior walls of the tunnel before a third vehicle, a 1999 GMC pick-up truck, collided with the Calhon’s Camry.
Calhon and his passenger, 19-year-old Bradley Meyring, of Edmonds, Wash., were transported to Legacy Emanuel Medical Center for treatment of their injuries. The driver of the Explorer, Thomas Hatch Jr., 67, and passenger Candace Hatch, 61, both of Astoria, were taken to St. Vincent’s Hospital. Their injuries were non-life threatening. The driver and passenger of the GMC pick-up were not injured.
Calhon was cited to appear in Washington County Circuit Court for reckless driving, three counts of recklessly endangering another person, and fourth-degree assault.
The tunnel was closed for about two hours following the accident.
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