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http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News Blogs Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Classic Forums Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Multimedia Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Road Cams Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Distinctly Northwest Women in Business Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Customer Service Advertise With Us Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map Email Story to a Friend April 18, 2007 Truckers learn perils of Bear Camp Road the hard way Nebraska firm apparently keeps mistaking route for a clear shot to coast, sends drivers there By paul fattig Mail Tribune GALICE — A tractor-trailer owned by a Nebraska trucking firm got stuck and caught fire on the eastern end of the remote Bear Camp Road early Tuesday morning. The incident marks the second time this month that a truck owned by Omaha-based Werner Enterprises, Inc. became bogged down on the narrow mountain road, and suggests the Bear Camp Road is still being mistaken as a main road to the coast by people who have no knowledge of the area. The route gained notoriety late last year after the Kim family of San Francisco became lost when they mistakenly took a logging spur road while attempting to drive to the coast from Interstate 5. James Kim died of exposure after leaving the family car to seek help, but his wife, Kati, and their two young daughters were rescued on Dec. 4. "You would think when they got up there and saw what it was like, they would quit going any farther," said Bill Leonard, manager of Caveman Towing Service. Advertisement A Caveman tow truck was called to the scene to remove the truck after its tires caught fire when the driver attempted to free the rig by spinning the tires. The burning tires ignited the empty trailer and the back of the truck, according to the Josephine County Sheriff's Office. "You would think they would quit going up there," Leonard reiterated. The incident began at 2:30 a.m. when a Josephine County Sheriff's deputy and Rural/Metro Fire Department responded to a truck fire reported in the Galice Creek area of Bear Camp Road, according to Sheriff Gil Gilbertson. Driver Ricky Johnson, 44, of Portland, told the deputy that his 53-foot trailer was too long to travel Highway 199 so his dispatch center told him to take Bear Camp Road to get from Interstate 5 to Brookings, Gilbertson said. When the driver realized the road was too winding and narrow, he attempted to back up and got stuck, the sheriff said. "The deputy called Werner and advised them of the perils of that road," Gilbertson said. "They said they would remove the road from their (route) list." Gilbertson said it wasn't feasible for the department to contact all the trucking companies in the country about the road's hazards nor all the motorists who may try to use it in winter. While the winding road is passable during the summer months, it is blocked by snow throughout much of the winter well into spring. Following the Kim search, the sheriff's department contacted the Rand McNally map company and advised them of the hazards posed by the road during the wet season, Gilbertson said. "A lot of maps project it to be a travelable road and it's not," he said, referring to winter and spring when it is blocked by snow. The partially-burned truck was towed to Grants Pass late Tuesday afternoon, Leonard said. [email protected] . Would you like to respond to this story? If so Click Here to visit our forums. Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2007 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Online Casino Reviews Trunks, Footlocker Fundraisers UK Homeowner Loans Casinos Canada Cord Blood Banking Discount Hotel Reservations Texas Electric Choice Compare Electric rates in Texas Online Casino Windermere Van Vleet Men's Clothing Debt Help New Hampshire Primary