Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Neighbors evacuated in southwest Medford SWAT standoff ... Human bone found northwest of Shady Cove ... Costly repairs may force Jacksonville Highway Water District to dissolve ... Neighbors evacuated in southwest Medford SWAT standoff ... Human bone found northwest of Shady Cove ... Costly repairs may force Jacksonville Highway Water District to dissolve ... Driver in wrong-way crash allegedly intoxicated The crash early Sunday shut down the freeway for four hours Comment By Jeff Duewel Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Jeff Duewel Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted May. 10, 2016 at 4:33 PM By Jeff Duewel Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted May. 10, 2016 at 4:33 PM » Social News HUGO — A motorist who caused a crash early Sunday on Interstate 5 that shut down the freeway for nearly four hours was intoxicated and driving the wrong way on the freeway, police said. The crash happened at 2:45 a.m. when a Dodge minivan driven by Ashley Whipple, 27, of Washington state smashed head-on into a commercial truck carrying containers of hydrogen chloride gas, just north of the Hugo exit. The van was seen traveling south in northbound lanes as far away as Sunny Valley, according to Oregon State Police. Though the minivan was badly mangled, Whipple escaped serious injury and was treated and released at Asante Three Rivers Medical Center in Grants Pass. She was cited on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, according to OSP. Later Sunday evening she was taken into protective custody for a mental health evaluation after she called the American Red Cross threatening to commit suicide, according to KAJO radio. She called from a residence on Jumpoff Joe Creek Road, which is near the crash site, according to KAJO, citing the Josephine County Sheriff's Office. The crash created a scare when state troopers smelled something noxious, resulting in a full-scale hazardous materials response, said Austin Prince, division chief of Rural/Metro Fire Department. "Based on the potential of the unknown, OSP started peeling people out of cars, and we decided to shut down the freeway at Merlin and Sunny Valley," Prince said. "It's a dangerous product. This is on the top of the list for hazardous situations we can encounter." In the end, none of the cylindrical containers were breached, and nothing spilled. The source of the original sniff by OSP could have been battery acid, radiator fluid or something else. "There was no spill," Prince said. "I give credit to the truck driver. She managed to keep it straight and narrow and didn't roll it." The truck driver, 49-year-old Cindy Harp-Horn, no address listed, was not injured. Prince said motorists near the scene of the crash were taken to a safe area a few hundred yards south of the crash. Some were placed in fire trucks to keep warm. Other people were able to get off the freeway at the Manzanita rest area, Prince said. By Jeff Duewel Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Jeff Duewel Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted May. 10, 2016 at 4:33 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501