Salem Man's Unique Birthday Gift: Surviving a 300 Foot Plunge in the Santiam Pass

Peter Chamberlain celebrates life more poignantly this year.

Crash in the Santiam Canyon. Courtesy: Oregon State Police

(SANTIAM CANYON, Ore.) - Police say a Salem-area man survived a Thursday morning crash in the Santiam Pass area in which he lost control of his sport utility vehicle, crashed through a guardrail.

The vehicle left the road and traveled approximately 300 feet down an embankment before coming to a stop.

The man was extricated from his vehicle and brought back up to the highway by fire and medical personnel before being transported for non-life threatening injuries, according to Oregon State Police Sergeant, Derek Bischoff.

He says this morning at approximately 9:44 a.m. a 2002 GMC Yukon sport utility vehicle driven by Peter A. Chamberlain of Salem, was eastbound on Highway 20 near milepost 79 when Chamberlain lost control and struck the guardrail.

The GMC crashed through the railing and went down an embankment approximately 300 feet before coming to a stop.

Bischoff arrived at the scene three minutes later and made his way down the embankment to Chamberlain while fire and medical personnel responded.

Peter Chamberlain had non-life threatening injuries and was later extricated from his vehicle by Deschutes County Sheriff's Office Search & Rescue and fire department personnel. Chamberlain was transported by ambulance to St. Charles Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries.

Safety restraint use is pending confirmation.

OSP was assisted at the scene by Sisters Fire Department, Bend Fire Department, Black Butte Fire Department, Deschutes County Sheriffs Office, and ODOT.

Photograph Source: Oregon State Police