Multnomah County deputies are on the lookout for the driver of a blue or purple semi-truck after a dramatic crash on eastbound I-84 Monday night sent a commercial water truck careening roughly 100 feet down a wooded slope and onto its side. The wreck happened about a half-mile west of the Dalton Point Recreation Site and left the water-truck driver and a passenger with injuries that authorities say are not life-threatening. Investigators report the semi kept going without stopping, and county crews released video of the impact as part of a hit-and-run investigation.
Video released, deputies ask for help
The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office has put out crash footage and is asking for the public’s help identifying the semi and its driver, according to KATU. Investigators told the station the semi was towing a trailer and merged into the water truck’s lane just before making contact.
How investigators say the crash unfolded
Per the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, deputies believe the semi-truck began changing lanes into the path of a white commercial water truck and clipped the front passenger side of the smaller vehicle. That impact pushed the water truck off the roadway and down the slope. Officials say the water-truck driver is cooperating with detectives as they work to track down the semi and its owner.
Scene and recovery
Responding fire crews confirmed the water truck’s tank was filled only with water, so there was no hazardous-materials threat at the scene. The sheriff’s office described the removal as a complex recovery that called for a local tow company and two heavy-lift vehicles, KATU reports. Traffic on eastbound I-84 near Dalton Point slowed while crews hauled the badly damaged water truck back up from the slope.
How to help
Anyone who recognizes the semi-truck, its trailer, or the driver is asked to contact the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office tip line at 503-988-0560 or email [email protected], per the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies are also interested in hearing from anyone who may have dash-cam or business-camera footage from the I-84 corridor on the night of the crash to help move the investigation forward.
