Distracted driving leads to car vs CMV rear ending near Baker Valley Rest Area

By Garrett Christensen on Tuesday, May 14th, 2024 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News

BAKER COUNTY – Distracted driving awareness month may be over, but that doesn’t mean phones still shouldn’t be parked when behind the wheel. Bryson Scott Barradale of Everett Washington found this out the hard way after coming to a hard stop against the back of a CMV trailer. The incident in question took place on Friday, May 10, at approximately 6:26 a.m. along I-84 Eastbound, milepost 294, near the Baker Valley Rest Area. The Full OSP Description of the incident is as follows:

“The Oregon State Police responded to a crash near milepost 294 on Interstate 84 eastbound. The driver of the maroon Impreza advised that he was looking down at his phone to answer a call and when he looked up he saw the CMV in the slow lane in front of him. The Driver said that he was unable to avoid hitting the rear of the trailer. The driver of the CMV stated that he felt a bump from behind and saw the car behind him.

Evidence on scene suggested that the trailer was hit from behind by the maroon Impreza within the slow lane of travel. The tire marks then lead to the median where the Impreza came to a point of controlled rest on its wheels. The driver of the Impreza was issued a citation for operating a vehicle while using a mobile communication device. The Impreza was removed by Roadrunner Towing.”