Tackling a Major Traffic Disruption
Accidents never come with a warning, and when they happen, they create a sudden disruption in our lives and in traffic. We recently got a call from the Oregon State Police. There had been a significant accident on I-5 southbound, just south of exit 263 in northern Salem. A 2003 Chevy Suburban and a 2008 Freightliner M2 box truck had collided. The box truck, carrying produce, had tipped over on its side, and the Suburban was fused to it, completely burned out. Despite the dramatic scene, everyone involved was thankfully okay. We readied our towing equipment for this Salem I-5 accident recovery job.
When we arrived, we found that the crash had shut down all three lanes of traffic, causing a major disruption during the morning commute. Our team included Tenny, operating the heavy-duty recovery truck 220, and Irving, who was there to assist and handle the rigging. The box truck weighed between 15,000 and 18,000 pounds and was in a precarious position on its side. The Suburban, meanwhile, was a total loss, burned to the ground.
Cutting Away and Clearing the Suburban
Our first task was to cut away the Suburban from the box truck using a steel-cutting chop saw. This was followed by an extensive fire cleanup before we could haul the Suburban away on a flatbed. With the Suburban out of the way, we turned our attention to the box truck.
Uprighting the Box Truck and Clearing the Scene
We managed to get the truck upright and, within an hour, had a couple of lanes reopened to ease the traffic congestion. However, the driver-side dual tires on the rear of the box truck were off the rim and in bad shape. We had to bring out our heavy-duty tire service to deal with this. We pulled the front steer tires off the truck and put them on the rear to enable towing it into the shop for repairs. The entire process took about 5.25 hours, but we managed to clear the scene effectively.
From Chaos to Calm: Our Experience with the Salem I-5 Accident Recovery
In response to a two-vehicle crash on I-5 southbound immediately south of exit 263 in northern Salem, Baker & Baker Towing was dispatched by the Oregon State Police. The accident involved a 2003 Chevy Suburban and a 2008 Freightliner M2 box truck carrying produce. The box truck ended up on its side, and the Suburban, which had burned to the ground, was fused to it. Despite the severity of the incident, all individuals involved were unharmed.
Our Salem I-5 accident recovery team consisted of Tenny, operating the heavy-duty recovery truck 220, and Irving, who assisted with rigging and recovery. The scene was chaotic, with all three lanes shut down, causing significant disruption during the morning commute hours.
Step-by-Step Recovery
Cutting away the Suburban from the box truck was our first challenge, requiring a steel-cutting chop saw due to the extensive fire damage. The fire cleanup was next, enabling us to haul the Suburban away on a flatbed. Attention then turned to the box truck, which we managed to right, reopening a couple of lanes within an hour to help ease traffic congestion.
The box truck’s driver-side dual tires were off the rim and in poor condition, requiring heavy-duty tire service. We swapped the front steer tires to the rear, making the truck towable to our shop for further repairs. This thorough process took 5.25 hours. Our team’s expertise in handling complex operations like this Salem I-5 accident recovery.
Baker & Baker Accident Recovery
At the end of the day, it’s moments like these that remind us why we do what we do. The Salem I-5 accident recovery was a stark reminder of how quickly things can change and how vital our work is in restoring order. Our team at Baker & Baker Towing takes pride in responding swiftly, ensuring that traffic can get moving again. Handling the Salem I-5 accident recovery showed our commitment to being there when people need us most.
