Posted on 05/28/2023 4:51:29 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom
Two people died and three others were injured in a head-on crash on U.S. Highway 95 just north of the Oregon-Nevada border, Sunday, May 21, according to the Oregon State Police.
Ryan Michael Mercer 38 of Springfield, Missouri, died when the 2017 Ford Explorer he was driving collided with a 2022 Ford Edge operated by Joseph J. Luia, 37, of Sparks, Nevada near milepost 25 at about 11:14 a.m.
Luia and a rear seat passenger in the Ford Edge, Alexandria E. Murrillo, 33, of Reno, Nevada, suffered serious injuries and were transported by Life Flight to an area hospital. Another rear seat passenger, Lisa K. Johnson, 58, of Sparks Nevada, died at the scene. A front-seat passenger in the Ford Edge, Felissia A. Luia, 37, of Sparks Nevada, suffered minor injuries.
According to police, the crash occurred when Mercer was driving north in the southbound lane in a NO-PASSING ZONE. At the same time Walter Robert Gilmore, 73, of Star, Idaho, was driving his 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee in the southbound lane followed by Luia.
Gilmore swerved to the edge of the southbound lane to avoid hitting Mercer’s vehicle, struck a fog marker and came to a stop.
Seconds later Mercer and Luia’s vehicles collided.
Gilmore and a passenger, Diana Lynn Bonsey-Gilmore, 72, of Star, Idaho, were not injured.
The crash closed the highway for two hours after the crash.
(Excerpt) Read more at malheurenterprise.com ...
You seem to not want to read about it... yet, here you are.
No. Mercer was passing illegally over the double yellow. Gilmore hit the shoulder and avoided a collision. “Seconds later” Mercer hit the other car head-on.
“why posted?”
I don’t know. It was very traumatic for me seeing that and then reading the article that two had died. Maybe it helps me deal with it.
“Seems brilliant reaction to me.” (by Gilmore)
My reaction, too. He was obviously heads-up and alert, saw the danger coming right at him, and got onto the shoulder out of the way. Damn good driving and reaction for a 72 year old (which happens to be my age, too!)
“Fatal accidents happen every day throughout the USA.”
True, but it’s the first time I’ve seen one personally in my 72 years (surprising) and especially with somewhat strange circumstances.
Exactly right. In fact, Gilmore was alert, saw the danger coming at him, and dashed onto the shoulder to avoid a head-on with Mercer. Great driving by Gilmore.
What I don’t get is why didn’t Mercer use those seconds after running Gilmore off the road to head to the shoulder himself or get back into his lane. Instead, he stayed in the northbound passing lane and hit the Ford Edge head-on.
Search for head-on collisions in Oregon. You find there are a LOT of them.
There’s tons of roads like this in New Mexico. The only saving grace is low population density. I’ve driven 100 miles without seeing another car, it’s always a bit of a pucker factor when someone is coming the other direction given our DWI statistics.
Thank you for that observation. You are 100% correct. Imagine seeing the car in front of you at 70 mph, you are following a good distance behind, two-lane road, and he heads quickly to the shoulder. You take a moment to process that (”what’s going on”) and BAM, it’s you having the head-on.
That is an important take-away from this story.
Yes, I am the original poster and you are right. I came upon the road covered in crash debris, two wheels with tires in the road, the Ford Edge on the left shoulder with the injured woman sitting on the ground by the front tire. I obviously slowed down very quickly to a crawl, then I slowly went forward and saw the Ford Explorer on its side in the ditch, still steaming. Wheels had stopped spinning. People were gathering to figure out what to do. I parked on the right (northbound) shoulder and went over to assist, but could not render aid.
I spent the night in Winnemucca, NV and left the motel about 9 am. At first, the road was pretty empty, but it was filling up by the time I got to the OR-NV border and even more busy the further I went.
Very true. I would add that it's a good idea also to watch ahead of the car in front, as far as possible. If there's a vehicle coming in the opposite direction, you'll have more time to anticipate problems. Most of the time you can see for miles ahead on that particular highway.
There’s a section of Route 60 between Mountainair NM and I 25 that is 20 miles of completely straight and flat. No houses, no nothing. I knew a guy who used it to found out if his super bike could actually hit 200 mph.
I am sorry. I read your official article but did not read one thing about your connection to it. I don’t know that I’ve ever had that happen.
Well, did he hit 200 mph?
Speaking of that part of the state, I once read a blog by some (apparently clueless) bicycle tourers. They wanted to go somewhere for a winter ride where it’s warm. “Hey, New Mexico is the desert, let’s go there!”
They wound up in and around Magdalena and were wondering why they were freezing their @$$es off in December or January.
thx for posting....I like knowing what’s going on across the nation...
those roads sound alot like rt 93 in Nevada....long, straight, two way traffic....but I love it....
Yes he hit 200.
When I first moved here in 1992 I still rode bikes. Winters were cold, but if dry and the sun out, not too bad. My wife and I competed in a cross country ski race atop Sandia Crest (10K+ feet) in bike shorts and tank tops because of the sun. The UNM ski team (Norwegian on scholarships kicked our butts a thousand ways from Sunday)
We joke that he La Luz Trail is where Texans go to die of hypothermia, even in summer.
Thanks for raising that point. I remember my safe driving classes stressed DO NOT fixate on the car in front of you. Look beyond it to be able to anticipate better what’s coming.
Also, situational awareness is critical for safe driving, just like flying an airplane. Keep the eyes moving all the time looking for danger. I remember the safe driving classes stressing the importance of always having a planned escape route, too. Know where you can go safely at an instant’s notice. Mr. Gilmore survived because of that.
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