Two Injured in Four Vehicle Crash in Canby

Fog in the area may have played a role in the accident.

Photo courtesy: Troy Busalsky/Canby Fire

(CANBY) - At approximately 7:00 AM, Canby Fire was dispatched to a four car motor vehicle crash.

Initial reports indicated that there were several patients, and at least two unconscious victims.

Because of the morning fog, Life Flight was not available, so the Incident Commander requested an additional ambulance to assist with patient transportation, which in this case came from Oregon City.

When firefighters arrived they discovered that there were two patients that would require ambulance transportation. During the same initial assessment, firefighters stabilized the crash caused hazards, which included leaking anti-freeze, motor oil, and a small amount of gasoline.

Once the scene was stable the patients were extricated from their vehicles and moved away from the crash scene where additional medical care would occur.

The accident scene would be described as a four car, single file, rear ender, chain reactions crash. The first vehicle in line was a Mid Sized pick up, followed by a Mustang GT, followed by a Honda SUV, and then by a Honda Sedan.

No injuries appeared critical, and the patients were transported to Willamette Falls Hospital and Portland Adventist, respectively.

Although this crash is still under investigation, this is a great time for a seasonal reminder.

This time of the year we will have several days where the roads will be unusually slippery, especially after a first rain, or when roads start to get covered with wet leaves. Also, remember to increase your following distance when driving in fog, like this morning.

During daylight, with good dry roads, and low traffic volume, you can ensure a safe distance from the car ahead of you by following the "three-second rule."

When conditions worsen, such as in heavy traffic, at night, or when weather conditions are not ideal (eg. light rain, light fog, light snow), double the three-second rule to six-seconds, for added safety. And when conditions are at their worse, such as heavy rain, heavy fog, or heavy snow, start by tripling the three-second rule to nine seconds to determine a safe following distance.

Here's an example of how the three-second rule affects the distance between two vehicles. At 35 mph you travel at 52 ft. per second, and there is a 166 ft buffer between you and the car ahead of you. When you double the three-second rule to six-seconds, you increase the buffer zone to 312 ft, which gives the driver added time to react to an unpredictable situation.