The Oregon State Police along with several local agencies worked together throughout the night to get Interstate 84 open and cleared of vehicles.
Troopers from the Pendleton and La Grande Area Commands along with crews from various agencies worked all night to get the over 170 vehicles out of the 1.75 mile stretch of the interstate. Uninjured persons who could not otherwise drive from the scene due to the blockage or damaged vehicles were transported to the Pendleton Convention Center for reunification.
A local taxi company and a church provided vans to transport persons from the convention center to local hotels as needed.
A total of 71 people were transported from the crash scene to the reunification center via busses. Initial numbers collected were that there were 17 patients transported from the crash scene with an additional 2 transported after having arrived at the reunification center.
There are still several sections of Interstate 84 with extreme winter road conditions, so traveling is still hazardous. If you don’t have to travel in the area, officials recommend staying home.
The Umatilla County Emergency Operations Center was activated for this incident. Several agencies worked together to coordinate this large-scale incident.
Courtesy of OSP
