Four-Car Collision Injures Five People

Date: June 2, 2010
Location: SR 22 near Salem, Oregon
Names: Baldev Chada, Eugene Park, Sharon Van Cleave, Chung Kim, [Unknown]

Five people were hospitalized after a four-car crash on State Route 22 west of Salem, Oregon, on June 2, 2010, around 2:40 PM, according to reports in The Oregonian and an OSP press release. Heavy rains and standing water on the road contributed to the crash.

Baldev Chada, 55, was driving eastbound on the highway when his pickup truck encountered standing water in the roadway. The pickup swerved to the left and veered across the westbound lanes.

The truck crossed the eastbound “A” lane, where it was struck by a westbound Honda Accord operated by an unidentified driver.

Behind the Honda was a Toyota mini-van driven by Eugene Park, 61, of Independence. Park slammed on the brakes as the pickup driven by Chada crossed the westbound lanes.

Meanwhile, a Dodge Aries was following behind the mini-van. The driver, Sharon Van Cleave, 58, of Dallas, saw Park hit the brakes and tried to stop, but her car hit the rear of the mini-van.

Chada, Park, Van Cleave, and the unidentified driver of the Honda Accord were taken to Salem Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. In addition, a passenger in the mini-van driven by Park, Chung Kim, 50, of Independence, was transported to a Salem hospital.

Troopers reported that heavy rains had left standing water on the highway.

SmartMotorist.com urges drivers to use extreme caution when there is water on the road. Driving through deep water not only can risk your life, it can ruin your engine. Here are some tips:

• Drive very slowly and carefully.
• Never drive through moving water if you can’t see the ground through it.
• If the water is deeper than the bottom of your doors or the bottom third of your wheels, do not try driving through it. Use a detour instead.
• Take special care at night, when it is more difficult to see water hazards.
• If you have determined that it is safe to proceed, go slowly and avoid making large waves.
• After driving through a deep water hazard, check your brakes. If they are saturated, drive slowly while braking lightly to generate enough heat to dry them out. Be sure they are working evenly before picking up speed.

Also, read our tips for driving in the rain.

We send our wishes for a fast recovery to everyone involved in this Salem vehicle crash. Our thoughts are with you.

Many questions arise out of a car crash in Oregon. And unfortunately, our minds don’t often focus on recovering; they usually go directly to the financial – medical bills, insurance policies, lost wages. How will you and your family get through it? Fortunately, victims have resources. That’s why we’re here. We’re not ambulance chasers; we’re lawyers who feel it is our duty to help injured people deal with the insurance companies. And the first thing you should do after getting the medical help you need is to go to our website – not to give us your business, but to read our free tips, download helpful documents, or request a free copy of our book. And if that’s not enough, you can always contact our Portland personal injury attorneys to ask us any questions.