Log truck driver seriously hurt in crash near Metolius
A log truck driver was in serious condition Thursday at St. Charles Bend, one day after his loaded rig left Highway 361 near Metolius and overturned, leaving him trapped off the highway in the dark and unable to call for help, Oregon State Police reported. The wreckage was not found for some 4 1/2 hours.
John Clyde Straight, 31, who listed Culver and Redmond addresses, was found around 6:30 a.m. in the cab of his wrecked 1979 International Harvester truck near milepost 5 on state Highway 361, just south of Metolius, OSP Capt. Tim Fox said.
An investigation found that Straight’s truck was heading north, hauling a load of logs early Wednesday when it left the road for unknown reasons and rolled into a large ditch, Fox said.
The wreck was discovered when workers at a nearby building arrived to begin work around 6:30 a.m. Straight was alone in the rig and there were no other injuries, the captain said.
A landing zone was established and Straight was taken to an ambulance, then by Life Flight helicopter to the Bend hospital.
Jefferson County sheriff’s deputies said the truck rolled several times and the crash also destroyed an inactive power pole. They said the driver told them he crashed around 2 a.m. but was unable to call for help.
OSP was assisted on the scene by sheriff’s deputies and Jefferson County Fire and Rescue/EMS, Fox said. Ira’s Towing removed the crashed truck from the scene.
