Published:Monday, September 8, 2008 11:33 AM PDT
Serving the South Coast of Oregon

Lakeside mayor in critical condition
Monday, September 8, 2008 11:33 AM PDT

Lakeside Mayor Orville Nelson is in a Portland hospital after being hit by a pickup truck while stopped at a gas station on Saturday morning.

At 8:24 a.m., emergency crews responded to T’ree Acres Shell Gas Mini-Mart & Deli, 72327 U.S. Highway 101 to the accident involving a vehicle and pedestrian, an Oregon State Police press release said.

Police said a Dodge pickup was northbound on the highway when it swerved into the southbound lane then drove back through the northbound lane into the gas station parking lot. The pickup collided with  Nelson as he was getting back in his car. The driver continued back out to the highway and up the shoulder before crashing and getting stuck on an Oregon Department of Transportation cement ground vault cover, the release said.

An ambulance took Nelson to Lower Umpqua Hospital, then he was flown to Legacy Emanuel Hospital and Health Center in Portland, police said.

Officers arrested the pickup driver, Nicholas J. Mason, 27, of Portland, on charges of second-degree assault, unlawful possession of heroin, driving under the influence of intoxicants, reckless driving, reckless endangering and two counts of criminal mischief. He was taken to the Coos County jail, where he was being held this morning on $195,000 bail.

No further information on Nelson’s condition was available at press time.

News of the accident made it around Lakeside over the weekend.

“It’s been a bad weekend for Lakeside,” said City Recorder Charlie Hill this morning.

The city council suffered another loss. Longtime Councilor Jim Brown died Sunday night in Lakeside. He was 76 years old. Services are pending with Nelson’s Bay Area Mortuary in Coos Bay.


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