Woman Survived Deadly Crash on I-5 Freeway Near Cottonwood
TEHAMA COUNTY, Calif. (March 23, 2022) — Sierra Olander, 21, of Red Bluff, survived a crash on the Interstate 5 Freeway Sunday near Cottonwood that killed three other young people.
She was a back seat passenger in a Kia occupied by four people that crashed into a parked semi-truck on the shoulder of the freeway, just south of the Cottonwood scales. A 16-year-old boy was driving the car southbound on the I-5 when he entered the west shoulder and crashed into the big rig truck about 1:45 a.m. on March 20th.
Three of the young people in the vehicle died in the crash. The Tehama County Coroner’s Office identified them as Jordan Verdugo, 20, of Cottonwood, a 16-year-old Red Bluff boy and a 15-year-old Red Bluff girl. The teenagers were in the front seats and wearing seatbelts, but Verdugo and Olander were not.
Meanwhile, paramedics transported Sierra Olander to Mercy Medical Center for treatment of undisclosed major injuries. Police are waiting to speak to the young woman in hopes of learning what led up to the collision.
Also, truck driver Rodney Hill, 47, was not injured. It’s unknown why the truck was parked on the shoulder or if the vehicle had it’s hazard lights on at the time.
The CHP is investigating the cause of the crash and will determine fault.
Johnson Attorneys Group does not represent any of the parties mentioned above. Furthermore, Johnson Attorneys Group does not intend to represent any of the parties discussed. However, if you would like to contribute any information or have legal questions, please contact us as soon as possible. Finally, our law firm is a longtime supporter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).
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