Motorists cope with snow; wreck kills one man - December 27, 2004

Mail Tribune (Medford, OR — Wayback)

2005-01-27

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48 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, January 27, 2005   Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery   SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries   Life   Opinion - Politics   Tempo   AP News   Weather   Classified   Archives   Site Map   SPECIAL SECTIONS   Since We Asked   Outdoor Journal   Menu Guide   How To Guide   Wellness Connection   Readers' Choice   Real Estate Showcase   Real Estate Guide   Joy Magazine   Homelife Magazine   Wedding Guide   Passport to the Rogue Valley   EXTRA   Newspaper in Education   Personals   Movie Times   TV Times   E The People   Volunteer Opportunities   Moving to Southern Oregon?   MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad  eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities   Entertainment   Publications   Recreation   Calendar   CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit   Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend December 27, 2004 Motorists cope with snow; wreck kills one man By BILL KETTLER Mail Tribune A Medford man died and two other men were hospitalized early Sunday after a single-vehicle crash, and motorists struggled with snow and ice on mountain roads around Southern Oregon on the day after Christmas. Forecasters were predicting three inches of additional snow in the Cascade and Siskiyou mountains Sunday night and early today, with as much as 8 to 12 inches of new snow around Mount Shasta. Daniel Duran-Rodriguez, 20, died at Providence Medford Medical Center at about 8 a.m. of injuries he suffered in a crash in the 4200 block of Jacksonville Highway, near the Medford National Little League ballpark. Jackson County sheriff’s deputies said in a press release that Duran-Rodriguez and two other men were in a 2001 Windstar van that overturned sometime around 2:20 a.m. All three occupants were partially ejected from the van. Names of the two other men in the van, ages 17 and 20, could not be confirmed as the Mail Tribune went to press. Both were transported to Providence Medford Medical Center, where they were in critical condition, according to the sheriff’s press release. Advertisement Sheriff’s deputies could not be reached for more information about the crash. Debris at the scene suggested the van was traveling toward Jacksonville when the driver lost control on a curve, and the van slipped into a ditch and collided with a large solitary tree near the ballfield. Glass fragments were still embedded in the tree bark late Sunday and fragments of the van lay in the ditch beside the tree. Minor accidents occurred throughout the day on mountain roads across Southern Oregon. Chains were required on Interstate 5 and state highways during the early morning hours, and chain requirements were reinstated on some roads after sunset when slush turned to ice. At 5 p.m., the Oregon Department of Transportation was requiring chains on Interstate 5 even on vehicles that were equipped with studded snow tires. Only four-wheel drive vehicles were exempted from the chain requirement. Heavy snow around Crater Lake prompted ODOT to close Highway 62 at the west boundary of Crater Lake National Park, and the road to the rim was closed. Forecasters were expecting snow showers to taper off by Tuesday, but more new snow in the mountains seemed likely by Wednesday, said Mike Stavish, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service station in Medford. Medford received .53 inches of rain from the storm through Sunday evening. The storm dropped about 3 inches around Klamath Falls, and as much as 10 inches around Mount Shasta, Stavish said. Reach reporter Bill Kettler at 776-4492, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News  | Sports  | Business  | Obituaries  | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives  |  Site Map   E Southern Oregon  | Classified   Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback   ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers