ODOT pilot car struck near Durkee reminds drivers to watch for oversized loads
By Garrett Christensen on Tuesday, February 6th, 2024 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
BAKER COUNTY – Pilot cars are an essential aspect of highway transportation. Be it marking construction zones or, in the case of a recent incident, escorting oversized loads, they provide an essential service in alerting and guiding nearby drivers. Despite being clearly marked with beacons, signs, and flags, accidents do happen, with one pilot car recently being struck along I-84 near Durkee on February 1. As described by the OSP:
“Oregon State Police responded to a two-vehicle crash that occurred near milepost 330 on I-84 East. A pilot car that was escorting an oversized load was struck from the rear by another passenger car as it was merging with its escorted load onto the interstate. One driver was transported to the hospital for minor injuries. The traffic lanes of 1-84 were not affected.”
Though this incident was, thankfully, relatively minor, it should go without saying to always pay attention to, and yield to, pilot cars. While damage to a pilot vehicle in and of itself is generally no different than a standard accident, a collision with the equipment a pilot vehicle is escorting/marking could be catastrophic. Remember to always yield to pilot vehicles and be prepared to slow down or stop if necessary.
