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45 °F Forecast | Road Cams Saturday, November 13, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend May 12, 2004 A pickup truck and fuel-delivery truck collided Tuesday afternoon about a mile west of Jacksonville. Both drivers were injured, one critically, and traffic was routed around the site for about three hours. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Crash injures two, closes Highway 238 By JACK MORAN Mail Tribune JACKSONVILLE — Engine parts and other debris littered a section of Highway 238 on Tuesday afternoon after a pickup collided head-on with a fuel-delivery truck about a mile west of Jacksonville. The highway remained closed for more than three hours following the 2:45 p.m. accident. Oregon State Police rerouted traffic onto side roads, because the vehicles blocked both lanes of the highway. Drivers of both vehicles were taken by ambulance to Rogue Valley Medical Center. The driver of the Chevrolet Silverado pickup, Rogelio Villa Castellanos, 21, of Medford, suffered severe head injuries and was listed in critical condition Tuesday night, a hospital nursing supervisor said. The driver of the fuel truck, Donald Lee Goldschmidt, 60, of Jacksonville, was listed in fair condition at RVMC. At about 2:45 p.m., Goldschmidt was headed west on the highway in a truck owned by Hays Oil Co. of Medford. Castellanos’ eastbound pickup went around a right turn in the road and crossed the center-dividing line, smashing into the fuel-delivery truck, said Oregon State Police Senior Trooper Bill Bedell. Advertisement "(Castellanos) was in the wrong lane," Bedell said. "We don’t know why." Bedell said a preliminary investigation revealed no evidence that alcohol or excessive speed factored into the accident. Motorists were diverted onto Cady Lane and through Jacksonville, said Capt. Joe D’Amico of Applegate Fire District No. 9. The detour further snarled Jacksonville traffic already slowed by a downtown road-reconstruction project. D’Amico said firefighters initially feared the collision would ignite a fire on the fuel truck, which included a tanker that carried about 200 gallons of diesel fuel. That did not occur, as the only liquid on the road were fluids that had leaked onto the highway from underneath both vehicles’ hoods. D’Amico said crews from Applegate Fire and the Jacksonville Fire Department spent six minutes extricating Castellanos from the pickup. "We don’t have too many accidents out here, but when they do, they tend to be pretty intense," D’Amico said. The collision destroyed the front end of each vehicle, with the pickup receiving the most serious damage. The pickup’s hood was crushed and folded into the windshield. Items from the cab, including clothes and a cassette tape, were scattered around the wreck. Reach reporter Jack Moran at 776-4459, or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities