Truck Passenger Killed, Driver Seriously Injured

Date: July 1, 2010
Location: Highway 140E near Lakeview, Oregon
Names: Dawna Leigh Rhoades Anderson, Brian James Crawford

A 47-year-old Iowa woman died in a July 1, 2010 commercial truck crash on Highway 140E near Lakeview, Oregon, around 12:55 PM, and the truck driver was seriously injured, according to an OSP news release.

The crash occurred as a Kenworth truck pulling a flatbed trailer, operated by Brian James Crawford, 49, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was traveling downhill westbound on the highway. For an unknown reason, the truck lost control. The truck and trailer skidded into a ditch along the north side of the road, and rolled onto the passenger side. The vehicles came to rest blocking the highway.

The passenger in the truck, Dawna Leigh Rhoades Anderson, 47, also of Cedar Rapids, died on the way to the hospital. She was the driver’s friend and was not employed by the trucking company.

The driver, Crawford, was seriously injured. He was transported by ambulance to Lake District Hospital. As of July 2, hospital staff listed him in stable condition.

An investigation by Oregon State Police is ongoing.

We send our heartfelt wishes to Anderson, her family and friends. We also offer our best wishes for a full recovery to Crawford.

The little-known secret about single-car crashes is that they are not always the driver’s fault. Surprised? While many people will assume that the driver fell asleep at the wheel, or stopped paying attention for some other reason – and perhaps that is exactly what happened – there are many other possibilities as well.

Poor road conditions may have caused this wreck – for all we know, there may have been a large pothole that has already caused three accidents, or maybe there’s a blind curve with a missing warning sign. If that is the case, you may have a potential lawsuit against the state of Oregon. Such a lawsuit would allow the injured person to receive compensation and hopefully prevent future accidents on that stretch of road.

Maybe the car was recently brought in for a tune-up, and the mechanic replaced the steering mechanism carelessly, and the car lost steering. These things happen, and when someone is seriously injured, a competent Portland truck accident attorney can investigate and find out what happened. Usually, at no cost. For more information on what to do in the case of an Oregon accident, contact our office or read 7 Common Mistakes That Can Wreck Your Oregon Accident Case.