LOCAL
2A — THE OBSERVER
BAKER COUNTY
Union looking at a new ATV ordinance
By Dick Mason
The Observer
Baker County Sheriff’s Offi ce photo
Two people escaped from this pickup before it was
struck by a Union Pacifi c freight train Friday evening
near Haines.
Driver, passenger
flee pickup before
train collision
■ No one was hurt
in incident last
week
By Jayson Jacoby
EO Media Group
BAKER CITY — Two
Baker City residents escaped
injury Friday by jumping
out of a pickup before it was
struck by a Union Pacifi c
freight train near Haines.
The pickup was stranded
on the train tracks after it
became entangled with a
truck hauling potatoes.
No one was hurt.
The incident happened
around 5:13 p.m. where
Pole Line Lane crosses the
railroad tracks, just west of
Highway 30 about 6 miles
north of Baker City.
Tynan Morrison, 17, was
driving north on Highway 30,
toward Haines, with one pas-
senger, Isaac Furtney, 18, in
the 2001 Ford F-250 pickup,
according to the Baker
County Sheriff’s Offi ce.
Furtney said they were
following a potato truck that
was driving at about 25-30
mph.
The potato truck was driv-
en by Donald Richardson, 40,
of Nampa, Idaho, according
to the sheriff’s offi ce.
After Morrison began to
pass the potato truck, the
truck started turning left
onto Pole Line Road. Furtney
said they didn’t see a turn
signal.
The potato trailer collided
with the pickup, and the two
became entangled, according
to the sheriff’s offi ce.
Richardson, the potato
truck driver, didn’t real-
ize this had happened and
continued driving across
the railroad tracks, which
are just west of Highway
30.
At that point the pickup
dislodged from the trailer on
the tracks, but the pickup
couldn’t move.
Furtney said they ini-
tially saw the lights from
the oncoming train and
later heard its horn. They
jumped from the pickup
10-15 seconds before the
train hit the pickup, he
said.
Baker County sheriff’s
deputies investigated the
incident. No citations have
been issued.
The sheriff’s offi ce was
assisted by Oregon State Po-
lice, Baker City Fire Depart-
ment, Haines Fire Protection
District, Baker Rural Fire
Protection District and Or-
egon Department of Trans-
portation.
No one on the train crew
was injured, said Tim
McMahan, a spokesperson
for Union Pacifi c.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2019
UNION — The city of Union soon
may update its all-terrain vehicle
laws.
The city council agreed at a work
session Monday night to work toward
creating a new ATV ordinance. The
council adopted its ATV regulations
in 2002. The new ordinance would
better conform to new state laws,
City Administrator Doug Wiggins
said.
The council considered revising its
ATV ordinance but decided it would
be easier and less time consuming to
create a new one.
“Starting from scratch will be a lot
easier and cleaner,” said Councilor
Susan Hawkins.
Wiggins said the new ordinance
would reduce the city’s liability by
making points more understand-
able. For example, the city law now
requires ATV riders to have driver’s
licenses but does not spell this out
clearly.
“It is confusing,” Wiggins said.
The council at the work session
also discussed possible revisions of
the city’s charter, a process it has
been pursuing for at least several
months. One proposal would require
councilors to attend 75% of meetings
each year or face losing their seat on
the council.
Poor attendance among councilors
has been an issue in recent years.
Hawkins is among the councilors
who said the city needs to address
the issue. She stressed the work of
the council cannot be done unless its
members are present.
The council’s regular monthly
meeting followed the work session.
Action items included approval of
the purchase of a fi re truck from the
Oregon Department of Forestry for
$18,000. The truck is a 2008 Chevy
3500, which has a 300-gallon tank,
fl ashing lights and tools. The fi re
truck also has room for the Union
Fire Department’s extrication equip-
ment.
The vehicle replaces a truck that
carried extrication equipment but
has a failed electrical system.
The council also voted to approve
the purchase of a 2003 Camel hydro
excavation truck from Tualatin for
$50,000. Union will use the truck
for a variety of purposes, including
clearing storm drains and cleaning
sludge at the city’s sewage treatment
plant. Wiggins said the truck would
pay for itself in several years because
the city would no longer have to hire
outside labor to perform that work.
“It would get a lot of use,” Wiggins
said.
The 2003 Camel truck remains in
excellent condition, but Wiggins said
the purchase will not be fi nal until
he has a chance to inspect it to make
sure it will meet Union’s needs.
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Baker County Sheriff’s Offi ce photo
Two Baker City residents escaped injury on Friday by
jumping out of a pickup truck before it was struck by a
Union Pacifi c freight train near Haines. The pickup was
stranded on the train tracks after it became entangled
with a truck hauling potatoes.
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Practice makes perfect
Photo by the La Grande Rural Fire Protection District
Firefi ghters with the La Grande Rural Fire Protection
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