Driver injured in race car joyride crash at Merlin park – Medford News, Weather, Sports, Breaking News

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Driver hospitalized after race car joyride crash near Merlin By Mail Tribune staff Updated: Jun 15, 2022 09:33 AM A A Jaws of Life were needed to free a driver from the wreckage of a sprint-style race car that crashed Monday at a Josephine County park. The driver was injured during a nighttime test drive of the race vehicle at Hog Creek County Park near Merlin, according to a post on the Rural Metro Fire Facebook page. At about 9:35 p.m. Monday, officials said, the race car’s throttle apparently got stuck during a test drive near the Hog Creet boat ramp, causing the car to leave the road and crash into a tree. The driver was not wearing a helmet at the time of impact. Although the roll cage provided some protection, rescuers said the driver’s injures “would have likely been less serious had a helmet also been used,” according to the release Because of the sprint car’s position, firefighter-paramedics with Rural Metro Fire and AMR Ambulance Services needed to cut open the roll cage in order to extricate the driver from the wreckage. The driver was rushed to Asante Three Rivers Medical Center in Grants Pass with “moderate” injuries. The Josephine County Sheriff’s Office is still investigating the crash.