Truck Accidents 360 Newswire

SHERWOOD, OR – Police are searching for a woman who caused a fiery truck accident early Friday morning, May 7, 2010, in Washington County, Oregon and then fled from the scene. The woman collided with a semi trailer truck on Scholls Ferry Road close to the juncture with Highway 219 near the town of Sherwood, OR. The accident area is in the far north corner of the state, southwest of the Portland metropolitan region, 103 miles north of Eugene, OR and 26 miles south of Vancouver, Washington.

At around 5:20 a.m. Friday morning 29 year old truck driver Emilio Juarez-Florain of Gladstone, OR was traveling north on Scholls Ferry Road near Sherwood in Washington County, OR. As the truck approached the intersection of Highway 219 he encountered a speeding Dodge Charger traveling in the opposite direction.

The driver of the car 24 year old Krystal Ann Mincher, aka Krystal Ushley, of Portland, OR lost control of the Dodge Charger when she attempted to take a curve in the road at a high rate of speed. She crossed over the center dividing line of the roadway, directly in the path of the oncoming 18 wheeler truck.

WATCH VIDEO

The truck driver attempted to swerve to avoid colliding with the Dodge but was unable to get completely out of the way and Ms. Mincher slammed nearly head-on into the front cab of the semi trailer, causing the Dodge Charger to go into a spin and end up in a field off the roadway.
The impact of truck accident damaged one of the two 100 gallon fuel tanks on the 18 wheeler and the cab burst into flames. The truck driver was able to escape and jump away from the fiery rig and was not seriously injured.

After the truck accident Ms. Mincher and her passenger, 24 year old Carrie Smith of Bothell, WA reportedly got out of the Dodge Charger. At that point Ms. Mincher was picked up by an older while male who was driving a black SUV behind the Dodge Charger and she fled the site of the fiery truck accident, leaving her injured passenger behind at the scene.

Firefighters from the Washington County No. 2 Fire District responded to the scene of the truck accident and worked to extinguish the fire on the burning 18 wheeler. By the time they arrived the cab on the semi trailer truck was completely engulfed in flames and the intense heat melted PGE power lines that were hanging over the scene of the accident.

According to a fire department spokeswoman most of the diesel fuel was contained and did not spill out onto the road surface.

Emergency medical personnel found the passenger of the Dodge Charger, Carrie Smith, about 200 yards to the south of the truck accident scene. Ms. Smith was stabilized and then transported by a LifeFlight medical helicopter to Legacy Emmanuel Hospital in Portland. Authorities reported that she suffered non life threatening injuries and was in stable condition as of Friday afternoon.

MAP

View Larger Map

The Washington County Sheriff’s Department shut down a section of Sholls Ferry Road in the area surrounding the truck accident while crews worked to clear the wreckage of the semi truck and PGE crews repaired and replaced the damaged overhead power lines. Traffic was also detoured while county troopers conducted a reconstruction of the accident. The road would remain closed for more than nine hours, finally reopening in the middle of the afternoon Friday.

At this point in the truck accident investigation authorities have determined that Ms. Mincher was speeding and driving recklessly and that she caused the collision when she crossed over the center line into the opposite lane of traffic. They have also learned that the Dodge Charger she was driving belonged to an ex-boyfriend and he did not give Ms. Mincher permission to take the vehicle.

Washington County authorities have issued a request for any information on the truck accident and the whereabouts of Ms. Mincher. She faces several charges, some possibly at the felony level.

The truck accident remains under investigation.

---

Truck Accidents 360 is a truck accident attorney & lawyer directory that also reports on up to date truck accidents across the United States. Since trucking laws are governed by hundreds of regulations, it is important to consult with truck accident attorneys who know trucking laws. For more information about OR trucking laws and victims rights, contact an expert Oregon truck accident lawyer for a free consultation.