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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend August 23, 2005 Driver sought in I-5 fatal Police say a motorist driving a white Pontiac might have caused the six-car pileup that killed a 76-year-old Medford woman Sunday night By JACK MORAN Mail Tribune Police in two states are on the lookout for a car witnesses say caused a six-vehicle wreck late Sunday near Gold Hill that killed a Medford woman and closed Interstate 5’s southbound lanes for three hours. Oregon State Police investigators hope to learn more about the crash’s cause through interviews with the driver of a white, newer-model Pontiac Grand Am with unknown British Columbia license plates. But the Pontiac’s driver continued south on I-5 after crashing into the freeway’s concrete center divider near milepost 38 at about 9:40 p.m. Sunday, said OSP Sgt. Mark Byrd. At the time, Mary C. Webler, 76, of Medford, was driving behind the Pontiac in a Mazda pickup. Webler swerved to avoid colliding with the Pontiac and instead smashed into the concrete divider. The pickup came to rest in the freeway’s fast lane, Byrd said. Investigators believe Webler stepped out of her pickup seconds before another vehicle slammed into the Mazda. The impact sent the pickup crashing into Webler and killing her, Byrd said. Five more southbound vehicles became entangled in the crash, but only one person was hospitalized with injuries. Sunny Valley resident Allan Dale Stumbo, 56, was taken by ambulance to Providence Medford Medical Center, where he was listed Monday in serious condition, a hospital spokeswoman said. Advertisement Stumbo’s 1987 Honda Prelude collided with a Toyota pickup which had struck Webler’s vehicle. A 1993 Cadillac also crashed into Webler’s truck, Byrd said. A Toyota 4Runner and a Honda Accord were also involved in the chain-reaction wreck, Byrd said. OSP investigators requested California Highway Patrol officials ti stop the damaged Pontiac Grand Am if it is spotted there. The vehicle likely has front-end damage, police said. "We want to talk to (the Pontiac’s driver)," Byrd said, adding that a decision about whether that person would face criminal charges in connection with the wreck would be made by Jackson County prosecutors. "It’s all going to depend on whether the (Pontiac) made contact (with other vehicles) and what their story is," Byrd said. Anyone with information about the Grand Am or a similar-type vehicle with British Columbia license plates and front-end damage is asked to phone OSP at 776-6111. Southbound lanes of I-5 were closed until early Monday morning while police investigated the crash. Traffic headed south on the freeway was diverted onto Highway 99 at exit 43 near Gold Hill. Because no Gold Hill officers were on duty at the time of the wreck, Rogue River police officer Chris Snyder was asked to direct traffic at the exit, officials said. Snyder was standing about 10 feet from his police cruiser when it was struck by a 2001 Toyota Corolla driven by Gail Kindler of Portland, said Rogue River Police Chief Ken Lewis. No one was injured in the collision, as air bags in Kindler’s car were activated upon impact. Snyder escaped harm when he jumped out of the way of his spinning vehicle, Lewis said. Both the patrol vehicle and Kindler’s car were totaled in the wreck. Lewis said a Jackson County sheriff’s deputy told him Kindler would be cited for careless driving. The crash leaves Rogue River police with just two patrol cars, Lewis said. Reach reporter Jack Moran at 776-4459, or e-mail Driver sought in I-5 fatal ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation Online Pharmacy online casino Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Rogue Valley Travel Reservationstogo Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Natto Kinase Nattokinase Casino Gambling Sites Budget Website Templates Investments & Loans Advertisement s