Mail Tribune News - Investigation of accident is ongoing

Mail Tribune (Medford, OR — Wayback)

2001-07-11

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Investigation of accident is ongoing Prosecutors are reviewing the cause of a traffic accident earlier this month in which a Medford man in a wheelchair died after he was struck while trying to cross a busy street. Jackson County Deputy District Attorney Allan Smith said an investigation by Medford police had been submitted to his office but a decision on the case could be several weeks away. "We really haven�t made a firm decision yet whether to present it to a grand jury," he said. "We�re definitely considering it." Wayne Oliver, 48, was killed Nov. 3 when he was struck while in his motorized wheelchair by a 1986 Nissan pickup truck at Fourth and Holly streets. Oliver was in a crosswalk. The driver of the pickup, 22-year-old Glen Dow of Medford, has not been charged. Medford police Lt. Tim George said an investigation of the accident was forwarded to the DA�s office more than a week ago. He declined to say what conclusions, if any, were reached by police. "There�s a lot of contributing factors that need to be taken into account," he said. Among them was the effect that glare had on the accident. The sun was low on the horizon, and witnesses said Dow complained that he was blinded by the light. Another factor was Dow�s speed. The speed limit on Fourth Street is 25 mph. George said reconstruction of the accident determined only low and high "estimates" of how fast the pickup truck was moving. Accident reports won�t be made public until after prosecutors decide whether to charge Dow, authorities said.   Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.