Wrong-way Driver Killed near Canyonville in Crash with Truck

Date: November 13, 2014

Location: Interstate 5

Names: Kathleen F. Petersen & Jose Garcia

Wrong-way Driver Killed near Canyonville in Crash with Truck

A 64-year-old woman from Brookings was killed after driving more that 8 miles going the wrong way on Interstate 5.

Kathleen F. Petersen was driving a 2011 Mazda MZ3 that hit a freight truck head-on south of Canyonville on Thursday evening.

Around 10pm the police received multiple phone calls about a white Mazda driving north in the southbound lanes of I-5 near milepost 88.

The Mazda continued in the wrong direction about 8 miles before colliding with a truck near Milepost 96.

Jose Garcia, 41, of Compton, California, was driving the truck and taken to a Roseburg hospital for treatment of a broken arm and other injuries. His truck caught on fire and burned at the scene.

The reason for Petersen’s driving is still under investigation.

We wish Jose Garcia a full and speedy recovery and extend our condolences to the family and friends of Kathleen F. Peterson.

As Portland car accident attorneys, we know that filing an insurance claim can be extremely complicated and stressful. After a crash like this, any injured person can seek compensation through the at-fault driver’s insurance policy, or through their own uninsured motorist coverage.

Steps to Take for Filing an Insurance Claim after an Oregon Accident:

1. Get medical treatment. If you’ve been injured, waiting to seek medical treatment can greatly affect the value of your claim.
2. Right after the accident, write down any details you remember.
3. Contact your insurance company and get a copy of your insurance policy if you don’t have one. Talk to your adjuster about using your personal injury protection (PIP) coverage for medical treatment, lost wages, etc.
4. Determine the amount of property damage done.
5. Start keeping good records. Get the police report, copies of medical bills, pictures of your car before and after repairs, etc.
6. If you are considering hiring a lawyer, talk to the lawyer before you talk to the other driver’s insurance company.
7. If you know you are not going to hire an attorney, contact the insurance company for the other driver yourself. Be honest, but do not give a recorded statement and do not admit any liability.
8. Get all correspondence with both insurance companies in writing.
9. Do not sign anything until you are done treating and are medically stationary.
10. Check the statute of limitations on your claim. For most car accidents in Oregon, the time limit is two years, but this is not true for all cases. In some cases, you will only have 180 days – speaking to an attorney can clarify your time limits.
11. Discuss your case with a car accident attorney in Portland who offers free consultations to start understanding the laws that affect your case and your rights as an accident victim.

But before you speak to the insurance adjuster or an attorney, you can learn more about the Oregon insurance claim process in the very helpful book, 7 Common Mistakes That Can Wreck Your Oregon Accident Case.