RUCH, Ore. – A Tuesday evening crash near Ruch sent one man to the hospital. Upper Applegate Road was closed for a few hours while deputies investigated the crash and crews worked to clear the wreckage.
On July 16, 2019, at 5:07 p.m., dispatch received a 911 call reporting two vehicles had collided between mile markers 4 and 5 on Upper Applegate Road. The caller reported that one person was injured and trapped in a vehicle.
Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) deputies and personnel from Jacksonville Police, Applegate Fire, and Mercy Flights responded to the scene. Deputies say a southbound Chevrolet Impala sedan operated by Thomas Dew, Jr., 32, of Jacksonville, crossed the center line and collided head-on with a Jackson County roads department dump truck.
The crash caused heavy damage to the Impala, which rolled over and caught fire. Bystanders helped to put out the fire, with assistance from Oregon Department of Forestry personnel who arrived a short time later. The dump truck had overturned in the roadway, blocking both lanes.
Dew was extricated from the vehicle by fire personnel. He was transported to Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center by Mercy Flights helicopter with serious injuries. The passenger in Dew’s vehicle and the driver of the dump truck reported minor injuries and declined to be transported.
Deputies say excessive speed was a factor in the crash; no impairment was detected. Dew was cited for careless driving, driving while suspended, and driving uninsured.
Case #19-14723
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