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Siskiyou Summit crash kills driver of pickup Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Police say the unidentified driver of this pickup was killed on impact with the trailer of a semi truck traveling 20-25 mph on a steep grade north of the Mount Ashland interchange on Interstate 5 Thursday afternoon. From staff reports An unidentified man died Thursday on the Siskiyou Summit after his pickup crashed into the back of a semi truck. Oregon State Police said the man, who was driving a white Ford Ranger with California license plates, suffered severe head trauma and was likely killed on impact. The semi driver was not injured. Police would not disclose the pickup driver's name. They said the man, believed to be in his early 20s, may have been in the area to visit family. Late Thursday, officers had yet to notify the driver's relatives of his death. Police said initial reports show that the pickup driver, who was driving north on Interstate 5 about 12:15 p.m., didn't slow when he approached a semi in the right lane at milepost 9, just north of the Mount Ashland interchange. "He just slammed into the back of the truck at full speed," said Lt. Dan Durbin. Durbin said the semi driver, who was talking on his cellular phone and traveling 20 to 25 mph on a steep stretch of the summit, saw the pickup approaching at a "high rate of speed." Durbin said the long-haul driver thought the pickup would pass on the left, but then the smaller truck crashed into the semi. There were no skid marks at the crash site, which indicates the pickup driver did not apply his brakes to slow down or avoid the collision, Durbin said. The force of the crash tore off the pickup's canopy, leaving shoes, clothing, pillows and toiletries scattered around the scene. The semi dragged the pickup some 200 feet down the road before it came to a stop. When police and emergency medical workers arrived, the front half of the pickup was wedged under the rear trailer of the semi. Officers had yet to determine the cause of the crash late Thursday, but Durbin said police will investigate whether drugs or alcohol was involved. Drug paraphernalia was found in the pickup, Durbin said. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.