Highway 22 Head-On Accident Involving Two Vehicles Causes Injuries

Location: Highway 22W near Dallas
Names: Wayne F. Hancock, Phillip S Irwin, Roy M. Perez

Oregon State Police were on the scene of a two-vehicle head-on crash on Highway 22W near Dallas that resulted in two men being injured. Icy highway conditions were a contributing factor in this crash, as well as others that happened in the same area around the same time.

On January 19 at about 7:07am a 2002 Ford Mustang was being driven west by Roy M. Perez, age 44 of Sheridan, on Highway 22W near milepost 9 when it slid on a patch of black ice and crossed the centerline, colliding head-on with a commercial truck pulling a semi-trailer. The truck, driven by Wayne F. Hancock, age 66 of Tillamook, was heading east at the time.

Perez and his passenger, Phillip S. Irwin, age 36 of Salem, were taken by ambulance to Salem Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Both had been using safety restraints and their vehicle’s airbags deployed. Hancock had also been using safety restraints and declined medical attention at the scene.

Our thoughts are with Mr. Perez and Mr. Irwin as they recover from their injuries. We wish them a full and speedy recovery. We also hope that Mr. Hancock was not too traumatized by this head-on crash, and that he was uninjured even though he declined medical attention.

With winter still upon us, drivers need to be alert for icy and snowy road conditions. The Oregon State Police and Oregon Department of Transportation are asking everyone to slow down, lengthen following distances so you can safely stop, be alert and drive with caution. Potentially dangerous driving conditions are factoring into more traffic accidents and other roadside emergencies. Be on the alert for emergency workers and their vehicles — police car, ambulance, tow vehicle, or public safety vehicle — on the side of the road with emergency lights flashing.

Please be careful. And if you are suffering because of a car crash and wondering what to do next, our Portland injury lawyers offer free information, including how to find a good lawyer, and our free book 7 Common Mistakes That Can Wreck Your Oregon Accident Case is available for Oregon residents and people who were in an accident in Oregon.