Head-on collision kills 1 and sparks forest fire!

2009-07-29 03:34:17 (GMT) (JusticeNewsFlash.com - 18 wheeler accident, Justice News Flash)

Legal News for Oregon 18-wheeler attorneys. A Dodge Dakota and a semi truck collide head-on sparking forest fire that burns 1.5 acres.

Personal Injury Lawyers alert- Oregon Department of Forestry extinguishes forest fired sparked by fatal collision between a big rig and a Dodge Dakota pickup.

Albany, OR—A head-on collision involving a semi truck and a Dodge Dakota pickup left one woman dead and another injured. The fatal accident occurred on Highway 20 east of Sweet Home on Monday, July 27, 27, 2009, as reported by KMTR.

According to police officials, a Dodge Dakota pickup truck, which was towing a trailer, was traveling eastbound on Highway 20 when a westbound tractor-trailer crossed over into the eastbound lanes while turning a corner. The semi truck slammed head-on into the pickup truck causing it to catch on fire. The truck’s passenger 63-year-old Ethel Ann Hopkins, of Bend was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. The driver of the pick up and Ethel’s husband, Craig Scott Hopkins, 66, of Bend was pulled from the truck by passing motorists before it was completely engulfed in flames. Craig was transported by emergency medical service (EMS) crews to St. Charles Medical Center in Bend for treatment of his injuries. The driver of the big rig, Billy Wayne Floyd, 28, of Las Vegas, and passenger Matthew Aaron Dizick, 20, of Cottage Grover were uninjured in the wreck.

The blazing inferno ignited in the pickup truck sparked a forest fire near the accident scene. The forest fire burned an acre and half and was extinguished by more than 20 personnel from the U.S. Forest Service, Oregon Department of Forestry, and Sweet Home, Lebanon, and Brownsville Fire Departments. A helicopter owned by Weyerhauser, Inc. also provided air support to help extinguish the forest fire. The semi truck was reportedly towing a carnival ride to the Benton County Fairgrounds when the accident occurred. Accident investigators believe excessive speeds contributed to the fatal collision.

Nicole Howley-Legal news for Lawyers representing 18-wheeler plaintiffs in Oregon.