Double-crash shuts down westbound I-84 near Rooster Rock, one seriously injured

A serious crash on westbound Interstate 84 near Rooster Rock State Park left one person seriously injured Saturday morning, then a second crash damaged two Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office patrol SUVs that were blocking traffic to protect the scene. Oregon State Police are investigating after a driver may have become unresponsive and crashed into a parked Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office patrol vehicle that was positioned as a safety barrier near the earlier wreck. The investigation began at about 8:15 a.m. Saturday, June 20 when Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a crash involving a semi-truck that hit a car on the shoulder on westbound I-84 near Rooster Rock State Park. The crash resulted in one person being seriously injured. Deputies positioned their patrol SUVs with emergency lights on to block one lane and establish a safety barrier while deputies and paramedics provided medical aid. A Life Flight helicopter took the person from the initial crash to the hospital. A secondary crash then occurred east of the original crash and involved two of the parked patrol SUVs. A man driving a Kia sedan hit the rear of a deputy’s patrol SUV, pushing it forward into the back of another patrol SUV. Witnesses reported the driver of the Kia may have become unresponsive at the wheel before the crash. The crash involving the Kia knocked the driver unconscious. Firefighters pulled the man from his car, and paramedics from American Medical Response took him to the hospital. No deputies were injured in the secondary crash. The first deputy’s SUV received heavy damage and is likely a total loss, while the second deputy’s SUV sustained moderate damage to the rear driver’s side. In previous coverage of the incident, the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office said the crashes happened near milepost 24, between Tunnel Point and Rooster Rock. Oregon State Police provided additional details in a statement at 11:52 a.m., saying, “A commercial motor vehicle struck a motorist who was changing a tire on the westbound shoulder of the roadway. The motorist was seriously injured and transported to an area hospital.” Oregon State Police also said, “Two Multnomah County patrol vehicles were blocking the slow lane while the Oregon State Police were investigating the primary crash and were struck by a westbound motorist. The motorist has a reported minor injury and was transported to an area hospital. We anticipate delays during the investigation.” As of 9 a.m., the sheriff’s office said all westbound lanes of I-84, two miles east of Corbett, were blocked and closed, with crews diverting all westbound vehicles off the highway at Rooster Rock. The westbound I-84 on-ramp from Rooster Rock was also closed. Around 10:15 a.m., the Oregon Department of Transportation reported westbound I-84 was closed near Rooster Rock at milepost 24 due to the crash, warning of extended delays and urging drivers to use an alternate route. At 11:15 a.m., ODOT said travel lanes of westbound I-84 had reopened near Rooster Rock, but urged drivers to “watch out and slow down for road crews still working on the highway shoulder in the area.” The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office urged drivers to avoid the area, use alternate routes such as SR-14 on the Washington side, and give emergency responders room to work safely. More closure information was available at tripcheck.com. A photo from the scene was released with instructions to credit the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office in full. The sheriff’s office said the information in its news release was based on a preliminary review and may change as the investigation continues. More closure information was available at tripcheck.com.