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47 °F Forecast | Road Cams Wednesday, December 8, 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 November 30, 2004 Siskiyou Summit crashes pile up Drivers going too fast for conditions add up to minor accidents on Interstate 5 on Sunday and Monday By MARK FREEMAN Mail Tribune Cold and icy conditions along Interstate 5 near the Siskiyou Summit brought the first bad-weather conditions of the season, and Thanksgiving travelers responded in the same way they normally do by making bad driving decisions. More than a half-dozen minor accidents were reported late Sunday and early Monday around the summit, where pockets of ice and wet roadways created problems for some motorists, police said. "People are going too fast for the road conditions," Oregon State Police Sgt. Kevin Myers said Monday. "It sounds like a broken record, I know," Myers said. "But it’s the same every year — slow down and give yourself some space between you and the car in front of you." The most serious crash occurred at 4:05 a.m. when four Californians were hurt when their van crashed in the southbound lanes at milepost 7.5, about two miles north of the summit, police said. Advertisement The van hit a slick spot on the roadway and the driver lost control of the van, which struck the concrete barrier and fell onto its right side, police said. Two 62-year-old passengers in the van’s middle seat were the most seriously injured, police said. Passengers Lizandro Cervantes Sarceno and Cecilia Cervantes-Marquez were taken by ambulance to the Rogue Valley Medical Center, where they were admitted, a hospital nursing supervisor said. Both were listed Monday evening in fair condition. Treated and released at RVMC were passengers Pablo Castro, 42, of Garden Grove, Calif., and Bartola Luis, 37, of Westminster, Calif., authorities said. The driver, 22-year-old Jesus Castro Cervantes of Garden Grove, Calif., was not taken to RVMC, police said. No citations were issued Monday morning, police said. Myers said most of the I-5 crashes involved single vehicles and many occurred around turns where motorists need to slow down and give themselves plenty of room. Conditions were poor enough that the state de-icer was used on the interstate, Myers said. Several other minor wrecks occurred over the weekend along Highway 140 between the Rogue Valley and Klamath Falls, according to OSP reports. The roadway had packed snow at times near the summit over the weekend, reports indicate. Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 776-4470, 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