If you get lost in Oregon. Don't count on US finding you!

Most recent examples, the Motorhome lost in Southern Oregon and now the two just found dead after a month on US Hwy. 26.

We just don't have the resources to look for all of YOU! Learn to read a map and stay on well traveled roads insight at all times.

Yes! Oregon is Beautiful but PRIMITIVE.

Vacation at your own RISK!

...And then go home.

Or better yet, just stay on the other side of the line and save the county and state's money, the Search & Rescue resources, newspaper ink and idling mobile TV-van gas for the rookie morons on Mt Hood.

Either that, or stay on I-5, till you get to Washington or Canada. Of course, feel free to get gas and shop along 1-5, but don't ask the brainiac pumping gas the fastest way through the coast range in the dark in the dead of winter.

Oh I'm certain there are a few dead Oregonians in Caliornia too.

Yeah, actually we do have the resources but don't use them very well. Turns out no one bothered to link a 911 call two weeks ago about a red car spotting on Highway 26 with the two people missing in a red Toyota. Oops.

http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/regional/index.ssf?/base/news-20/11835128591 06670.xml&storylist=orlocal

The 911 caller was extremely detailed - he WITNESSED the accident!!! Whether or not this would have resulted in saving the pair's lives is irrelevant - it's inexcusable that they never found the car then.

Andrew

The 911 witness may have caused the accident. That might be the reason he didn't give his real name. Man, I hope this is getting coverage in California!

The whole story is pretty sad, I feel for their families...but I'll bet there's going to be a lawsuit.

Now if they could just find that other missing couple with the motorhome fiasco...

I made fun above, but I have a friend here who's brother just "disappeared" years ago after a party, and I can't imagine the pain of not knowing where your family member is.

--Bodies of pair are found; search delay angers family--

The Sacramento Bee:

http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/253858.html

From the article:

"a maddening display of incompetence"

"really unforgivable"

There are some pretty interesting comments that follow that article...as I'm sure there will be in the Oregon papers...

Were they really not wearing seatbelts? I haven't heard or read that yet.

They were NOT wearing seatbelts!

(biting tongue)

Not wearing a seatbelt. I didn't know people failed to wear them these days. Sad. Very sad.

whats really sad is that the unbuckled driver, after losing control of his vehicle, apparently slid from his seat and was unable to find the brake pedal as his car crossed the highway and went off an embankment.

don't blame the state police if you can't control your car.

These people were not wearing thier seatbelts. Thier own family members said they "never wear seatbelts." They died almost instantly as a result. No matter how efficiently the 911 call was handled, the result would have been the same. I'm sad for the families, but I feel thier outrage is misplaced. We need to see the lessons from this incident:

1. Wear your seatbelt at all times.
2. We need to review and improve 911 procedures.

Expressing outrage and slamming Oregon's 911 process in the press, and hiring a private investigator to find the 911 caller (what will that do?) doesn't help anything.

I'm with Skep & Warner.

Why did they lose control of the car in the first place? Speeding? Changing the Bible-on-Tape CD? Eating Tillamook Cheese? Cracking crabs? Taffy got stuck on the gas pedal? Rapture?

99% of people driving 26 stay ON the road.

What are they going to do if they find the mysterious 911 caller? Ream him for not going back? I probably wouldn't want to be found either.

What happened to personal responsibility? If the driver had been wearing his seat belt, he may nor have lost control. And its cases like this, that make people not want to use their cell phone to call 911, your just asking to be sued.

Nwokie, we agree! Who woulda thunk it?

Personally.....I woulda stopped to see if I could help out before racing past....but then that's just me!

Say the driver that saw the accident, had strayed a little out of his/her lane, and partially caused the accident, they could be held liable.

This is one of those cases, where common sense and legal liability dont mesh.

Exactly, which is I imagine why the family wants to find the guy so badly. And now the State Police want to find him also, supposedly to get "more information" to help them.

Leaving the scene of an accident, giving a false name when reporting, giving a false cell number... these are not good things.

Could you live with yourself if you had caused that, not stopped, and the people died! I don't think I could. But then I guess that's me. Trouble with some people these days is the only have the devil sitting on one shoulder and the other little conscience dude seems to have evaporated! How you live your life today is how you will be judged later.
I carry stuff with me, first aid kit, jumper cables and jump pack, tools, fire extinguisher, etc. You bet if I see someone in need i'll stop and help if I can, even if for some reason I was the cause of it.

This whole thing reeks of "Road Rage". Like maybe the guy got mad at them driving slower than he'd like so he passed them and cut to closely in front of them causing him to lose control and go off the road. So then the guy gets a semi-conscience and calls for help while he is leaving the scene!

Which is probably why he didnt do more, people jump to conclusions, with absolutly no evidence.

People don't always assume a good samaritan is there only because he responsible. Some people will stop just because they are inclined to offer assistance to those in need, other's simply don't give a rat's ass about anyone but themselves until they are the on in need. Karma baby......it's all about the Good Karma. I am a firm believer in this and have experienced it. You do a good deed without expecting anything in return it feel's great when you receive it when you are in need. What come's around goes around full circle!

KARMA

the guy mighta been drunk, or had a body in the trunk to dispose of . . .

Or, didnt have a cell phone, was in front of the car that went off the road, and assumed someone was hurt, and wanted to get to the closest phone.

I'm all for seatbelts. I wear seatbelts 100% of the time. With that said, has anyone thought what might have happened if those two had been wearing seatbelts?

They're alive but hurt, stuck in their car and can't get out to seek help. So they're forced to wait for help to arrive. It never comes! They live maybe a week waiting......

How would that play in the news?

How would California differ in their coverage?

Your playing the odds, I have an uncle that died, because his car went into the water, and he couldnt get his seatbelt undone, the old fashioned type.

But the odds say having your seat belt on will more often save you.

But it can occassionally kill you.

Or, Craig, they unbuckle the belts, Priest crawls out, up to the highway, and flags down passing motorist who uses cell phone to call for help. Priest and girlfriend, er uh, friend, are saved.

Just as likely.

Or....Motorist that saw it stops and climbs down to see if they are ok and then climbs back out and flags down someone with a phone to go and call for help. Police and rescue arrive on scene at exact site due to good samaratins car there with lights flashing and maybe survive!

But then I guess that just makes to much damn sense you you'd have to actually care bout someone other than yourself!