Pickup hits snowplow on icy Hwy. 20 near Santiam Pass
The driver of a pickup truck ended up in the hospital after he lost control on icy Highway 20 east of Santiam Pass Wednesday morning and crossed the center line, colliding head-on with an ODOT snowplow, Oregon State Police said.
Lt. Bill Fugate said troopers and emergency crews responded around 8 a.m. to the reported crash near milepost 82, about two miles east of Santiam Pass in Jefferson County.
Preliminary information indicated a 2007 Ford F-150 driven by Sebastian Caprino, 67, of San Jose, California was heading east on the highway when he lost control in icy conditions, Fugate said.
Caprino’s pickup crossed the center line and collided head-on with an ODOT snowplow driven by George Ormsbee of Sisters.
Caprino had to be cut out of the wreckage by emergency crews. He was taken to St. Charles Bend, where a house supervisor said he was in good condition Wednesday evening.
Caprino was issued a citation for failure to maintain a lane of travel. The crash closed one westbound lane of Highway 20 for about 90 minutes.
Two off-duty paramedics and a pedestrian stopped to help render medical aid. OSP was assisted at the scene by ODOT and the Black Butte Ranch and Sisters-Camp Sherman fire districts.
The violent crash and the wreckage it left behind made clear Caprino was “lucky to be alive,” Fugate said.
OSP and ODOT urge travelers to “Know Before You Go,” monitoring media reports for weather forecasts and keeping up to date on road conditions at the TripCheck Website, which also has winter driving safety information and tips to help keep you informed and safe on the roads during holiday and winter season travels.
