Icy roads cause wrecks near Sisters

Brilliant spring-like sunshine on Sunday, February 15, lulled several drivers into trouble near Sisters.

While the sun was bright, it wasn't warm during the morning hours and the roads were glazed with ice from overnight rain. It was unsafe to walk on local highways, much less drive at 60 miles per hour.

The ice caused several single-vehicle wrecks in the space of a couple hours.

In one, a woman lost control of her Ford Explorer on Highway 126 just west of Camp Polk Road. The westbound vehicle crossed the oncoming traffic lane and hit a fence, spinning around to come to rest facing east.

The driver complained of neck pain, according to witnesses at the scene. A Sisters ambulance transported her to St. Charles Medical Center for treatment.

Just a few minutes earlier, a Jeep flipped over on Highway 20 at Indian Ford Road. The driver and passenger were unhurt.

A little later in the morning, a vehicle flipped over on its top near Hogg Rock.

All the automobiles involved in accidents were four-wheel-drive vehicles.

A little farther afield, a Sisters driver lost control on a slick Highway 97 and struck a Deschutes County Sheriff's Office patrol vehicle, which was stopped at the scene of a previous accident. The deputy was slightly hurt.

Part of the problem was that the pavement only looked wet, not like the ice rink it really was.

Black ice on the roadways can be difficult to see. Motorists are advised to pay attention to a change in color or a change in the reflectivity of the pavement surface. If the road surface is wet and all of sudden it looks dry, it could be black ice.

"The best way to deal with black ice is to anticipate where you have a likelihood of encountering it, such as on shady curves and bridges then slow down and drive accordingly," said Dan Knoll, Public Information Representative for Oregon Department of Transportation Region 4.

The Highway 126 wreck occurred on a curving stretch of highway that was still in the shade.

Knoll also recommends that motorists should slow down on dry pavement before entering what could be a slippery area. If it's too late to properly slow down, do not make any sudden maneuvers and use the brakes gradually.

If motorists find themselves on black ice and losing control, they should steer into the direction of the skid.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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