Published:Monday, February 5, 2007 1:07 PM PST
Serving the South Coast of Oregon

Crashes hurt drivers
Monday, February 5, 2007 1:07 PM PST

Several crashes kept police and emergency personnel busy throughout the county this weekend.

Bridge area

According to an Oregon State Police press release, at about 7:20 p.m. Saturday, a Toyota Camry was traveling west on state Highway 42, near the Douglas County line, when the car swerved off the road and slid into the ditch along the westbound shoulder.

The driver, Frank T. Morris, 50, of Coquille, and a passenger, Arlene E. Gilkey, 82, were not injured, police said.

Morris was arrested on charges of driving under the influence of intoxicants, parole violations, possession of a controlled substance and reckless driving. He was taken to Coos County jail, where he is being held without bail.

Bandon

A short time later near Bandon, OSP troopers handled an rollover crash on U.S. Highway 101. According to an OSP press release, at about 7:33 p.m. on Saturday, a Ford pickup truck was southbound near milepost 258 north of the Bullards Beach State Park, when it veered off the road and overturned in a ditch. The driver, Nord S. Johnson, 52, was taken to Southern Coos Hospital & Health Center in Bandon with undisclosed injuries. He was in fair condition this morning, according to a hospital spokeswoman.

Reedsport

On Sunday, police arrested a Reedsport man on a drunken driving charge after he was hurt in a two-vehicle traffic accident.

According to a Reedsport Police Department log, at approximately 8:52 p.m., a 2005 Nissan Sentra, driven by Christopher J. Lechuga, 21, of Reedsport, and a 1993 Ford van, operated by Gary Thief, 37, of North Bend, collided in the intersection of South 20th Street and Winchester Avenue.

Lechuga also was cited with failure to yield. He was taken to Lower Umpqua Hospital, where he was in good condition today, a nursing supervisor said.


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