HOOD RIVER, Ore. – An Oregon State Trooper’s patrol car was struck by an SUV on ice near Hood River, but no one was seriously injured.
The trooper was patrolling the icy roadways of the Columbia River Gorge Sunday night when the accident happened. He had been responding to a crash on I-84 eastbound near the Hood River city center exit when he was struck from behind, investigators said.
The vehicle that hit him was a Honda Pilot driven by David Nieto, 33, of The Dalles. Investigators said Neito’s SUV was moving too fast and it slid on the ice.
Trooper Mark Jubitz was transported to Hood River Providence Hospital where he was treated and released for minor injuries.
Nieto and the passengers in his SUV – his 8-year-old twins, a 3-year old, and a 12-year-old child – were not hurt.
He was cited for careless driving.
"The hazards of traveling on icy or snowy roads are only magnified when drivers are traveling too fast for conditions or being inattentive,” said OSP Sergeant Pat Shortt. “If the pavement looks wet and it is cold outside there is a good chance that the roadway surface may be icy."
