Miracle: Bend teen awakens after semi runs over car

A 19-year-old Bend woman had awakened and was in good condition at a Bend hospital Monday evening, 24 hours after a semi-truck ran into — and over — her car, stopped at a southwest Redmond intersection. It also hit two other vehicles, and the driver was cited for careless driving

“I don’t know how they survived it,” said Corrina Jaeger, whose 19-year-old daughter, Patricia, was at the wheel of the teen’s 1977 Corvette, accompanied by her 16-year-old sister, Becky, who suffered only minor injuries.

When asked if the m-word — “miracle” — had come up, the thankful mother had to laugh and said yes, then quickly turned serious about what happened — and what could have happened.

“God definitely had his hands on them,” she told NewsChannel 21 from her daughter’s room at St. Charles Bend, where Patricia had spent much of the day sleeping.

On Monday, Redmond police Lt. Brad McMurrian said he was “amazed” looking at the wreckage that the teens were not injured more severely – that the fuel tank, for example, didn’t hit either in the head..

Corina Jaeger said she and Patricia’s father “would not let her drive (the car) until she had new tires” put on. With them in place, Patricia was “testing it out,” she said, planning to show the car at an upcoming car show in Fossil.

Corrina said the two teens were just out for a ride, planning to do some “sisterly shopping” at Goodwill, when near-tragedy struck, out of the blue. They had the roof sections of the “T-top” off on the warm, blue-sky day, making their survival of the unusual, frightening crash even more amazing.

“She did wake up this morning,” Corrina Jaeger said of her daughter. “She was out for 18 hours, some of it heavily sedated. … She doesn’t have any issues. I think she was knocked out with the impact.”

Becky Jaeger “has no recollection, either” of the crash itself, her mother said. “She did wake up in the car, when the firemen, EMTs were pulling her out.”

Corinna Jaeger, who learned of the crash in a call from a St. Charles chaplain, said she had seen some of the photos of the semi sitting atop her daughter’s car. She had told her daughter about what happened, but had yet to show her the photos.

And what was Patricia’s reaction, when she learned of what had happened?

“She felt sorry for her sister,” Corrina Jaeger said.

Shortly after the crash, reported at 2:37 p.m. Saturday, a Life Flight helicopter landed in the intersection of Highway 97 and Southwest Veterans Way to take the driver to the Bend hospital, where a house supervisor said she was in good condition late Monday.

McMurrian said she initially was in critical condition. Her younger sister was taken by ambulance to St. Charles Redmond, where she was treated for minor injuries and released, McMurrian said.

The Corvette was behind a Subaru Outback and Ford Ranger pickup stopped at the light on northbound Highway 97, he said. The Subaru driver also was taken by ambulance to St. Charles Redmond, where she, too, was treated and later released.

For reasons still under investigation, a semi-truck driven by Santokh Singh Samra, 31, of Yuba City, California, hit the Corvette from behind, “went up and over” the car, primarily on the passenger side, then struck the rear of the Subaru, and then the Ford pickup from behind as well, McMurrian said.

McMurrian said first responders found the two females pinned in the Corvette and the semi sitting on top of it. Redmond Fire Department personnel removed them from the wreckage.

OSP troopers who assisted at the scene said they interviewed the truck driver, inspected his rig and took him to St. Charles Redmond for a blood and urine draw. McMurrian said Samra was cited for careless driving.

Police, Oregon State Police and Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies worked with ODOT to reroute traffic backing up in the area, eventually calling for a detour of all northbound traffic at SW Airport Way and southbound at Glacier Avenue.

An Oregon State Police traffic reconstructionist was sent to the scene.

Before 3:30 p.m., one northbound lane was being allowed past the crash scene as alternate routes were used to try to clear traffic.

McMurrian said despite the frightening nature of the crash, he wanted to note one positive aspect: the help many passing motorists and others offered in the moments and hours after it occurred.

“When I got to the car, there were so many people at the car that were trying to help them, I couldn’t even get to the car,” he said. “It was a little dangerous, on Highway 97 being four lanes, but it was really cool to see people trying to help them. A lot of citizens stopped to help.”

Also, he said, “four or five citizens came and gave us cold water” as police investigated the crash and worked to reroute traffic in temperatures that soared into the 90s.

Corrina Jaeger expressed similar sentiments to those who helped her daughters.

“I do thank everyone who was there, helping our girls. They are a blessing.”

Below: Life Flight helicopter comes in for landing after injury crash on Hwy. 97 at SW Veterans Way in Redmond (Jeffrey Sherman photo)