McCullough Bridge Accident, Aug. 28

Three people were injured Tuesday afternoon during a multi-vehicle traffic crash that closed the Highway 101 McCullough Bridge in North Bend for over two hours. On August 26, 2014 at approximately 1:51 p.m., two passenger vehicles, a utility truck, and a commercial truck pulling a semi-trailer were stopped in a line of northbound traffic at a stop signal on the north end of McCullough Bridge. A 2006 Kenworth truck pulling a loaded log trailer operated by RICHARD C. WILSON, age 57, from Bandon, approached from behind and failed stop in time, crashing into the rear of the semi-trailer leading to a chain-reaction crash. WILSON was trapped inside as the logs shifted forwarded into the back of the truck. He was extricated by North Bay Rural Fire Protection District personnel and transported by Bay Cities Ambulance to Bay Area Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. A driver of one of the passenger vehicles received minor injury but declined medical transport. The driver of the other passenger vehicle was transported to Bay Area Hospital with minor injuries. All vehicle occupants were using safety restraints. The logs were transferred to another log truck before both commercial trucks and trailers were towed from the scene. Travel lanes in both directions were closed over 2 hours. Southbound traffic was re-routed.