A North Bend man remains in the hospital following a three-vehicle accident Friday on state Highway 42, east of Myrtle Point.

According to a Bay Area Hospital spokeswoman, Jack Phillips, 78, was in serious condition this morning.

According to an Oregon State Police press release, at about 11:15 a.m. Friday, a 1999 Peterbilt semi-tractor towing a wood chip trailer had stopped in the westbound lane of Highway 42 near milepost 34. It was in an Oregon Department of Transportation work zone when a 1977 International semi-truck with a flatbed trailer approached.

The driver of the International attempted to stop, but the vehicle’s brakes locked. It hit the chip trailer and went into the eastbound lane of traffic, where it collided with Phillips’ 1998 Ford pickup truck. An ambulance crew took Phillips to Bay Area Hospital with serious injuries, police said.

The driver of the International, Kurt Lively, 51, of Powers, was cited on a charge of careless driving. Lively and the driver of the Peterbilt, Leo Miller, 58, of Winston, both declined medical attention, police said.

Both lanes of the highway were blocked for almost four hours, the press release said, as ODOT personnel contained a diesel spill from the International’s ruptured right fuel tank. The spill will not affect the nearby fork of the Coquille River, police said.

Traffic was able to pass along the eastbound lane’s shoulder, one direction at a time.