Last week, the weather throughout many parts of Oregon created what are known as whiteout conditions. Whiteout conditions are weather conditions that significantly reduce visibility due to snow, fog, or sand. In the case of this past weekend in Oregon, the conditions were due to a severe snowstorm that was happening. When these conditions occur, it is extremely difficult to drive safely or even be outside. This is because it is hard to see what the environment around you looks like, something that is very important when you are behind the wheel of a car. Because of the conditions, a major vehicle pileup happened on a major highway in the state.
The pileup occurred on Thursday on Interstate 84.
Happening around Multnomah Falls, just 25 miles east of Portland, the pileup had multiple different vehicle types that were involved in the accident. Reports showed that cars, trucks, and even semitrucks were involved in the pileup.
Originally, local police officers estimated that there were over 100 vehicles that were a part of the pileup. After visibility cleared a bit, they were able to see that only around 30 vehicles were actually a part of the pileup. Nonetheless, the pileup was a very scary and major issue that interrupted the flow of traffic significantly.
At this time, no deaths have been reported as a result of the accident.
Despite the size of the accident, only some injuries were reported. First responders were able to report to the scene quite quickly and assist any of the people who had been injured in the collision. The most common issue people faced in the pileup was being stuck in their vehicles. Luckily, the responders were able to assist these people as well and get everyone out as safely and quickly as possible.
One SUV caught on fire due to the accident.
After joining the pileup, one SUV caught fire due to the vehicle’s crash. Luckily, all the people in the vehicle were able to get out safely and faced minimal injuries. Because of the severity of the accident, local officials have released information regarding what to do if they end up involved in a pileup.
First, the officials say that it is important to remain inside your vehicle until you are told it is safe to get out or continue driving. However, the actual first thing authorities advised is to reduce travel in times of low visibility. Unless there is an emergency, it is best to stay home. If you must go out in storms with low visibility, proceed with far more caution than one regularly does when driving.
