Driver rescued from burning semi-truck after crash on I-84 in Baker County
By Joe Hathaway on Wednesday, July 3rd, 2024 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
HUNTINGTON — A driver was pulled from his burning semi-truck by witnesses after a crash on westbound Interstate 84 near Huntington.
On Monday, July 1, just after 4:00pm, Oregon State Police (OSP) responded to milepost 348 where a semi-truck pulling a refrigerated trailer had veered off the roadway. The vehicle left the highway by the left shoulder, traveling around 300 yards parallel to the interstate before crashing into an Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) reader board sign. The impact caused both the truck and trailer to catch fire.
Witnesses, identified by OSP as Desiree Nicole Creekmore, 38, of Surprise, Arizona, and Liam Riley Creekmore, 19, of Spokane, Washington, found the driver, Joshua Dale Rochester, 39, of Parma, Idaho, unresponsive in the driver’s seat. They managed to pull him from the burning vehicle.
Rochester sustained severe burns on his legs and arms and was airlifted to a hospital. His current condition is unknown.
The fire completely consumed the truck and trailer and burned several hundred yards of vegetation in the median.
The crash caused the westbound left lane to be closed for approximately two hours and the eastbound left lane to be closed for about one hour.
The investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing.
The photo above is a screenshot of a video of the fire from the crash taken by Heath Horn.
