Deputy, K-9 involved in Redwood Hwy. roll-over
From our weekly issue dated February 4, 2009
Illinois Valley Fire District (IVFD), OSP and AMR ambulance responded to the scene. (Photo by IVFD Media Dept.)
A deputy sheriff and his K-9 partner escaped serious injury after their patrol car went into a ditch and up an embankment, wiping out part of a plastic fence and rolling once Sunday night, Feb. 1 near milepost 39 of Hwy. 199 on the south side of O’Brien.
Josephine County Sheriff's Office (JCSO) Deputy James K. Geiger, 33, and Basco were southbound in a 2008 black-and-white four-door Crown Victoria at approximately 7 p.m. Geiger, a deputy for more than 11 years, apparently saw a northbound vehicle, possibly a semitruck and trailer, without tail lights. He began a U-turn and was accelerating, but swerved and lost control of the patrol car, which appeared to be demolished after rolling and coming to rest on its wheels near 36500 Redwood Hwy.
The deputy was able to radio for assistance, although he seemed to lapse in and out of consciousness. His canine partner remained in the rear of the vehicle, which was facing north on the lane for southbound traffic. Emergency personnel responded in force. Emergency vehicles blocked Hwy. 199 for some time, and traffic was halted.
Besides a pair of JCSO deputies and an OSP trooper, responders included Illinois Valley Fire District (IVFD) and American Medical Response (AMR). After IVFD used special tools to extricate Geiger from the wreckage, AMR took him to Three Rivers Community Hospital (TRCH) in Grants Pass. The deputy complained of neck, shoulder and chest pain.
“Deputy Geiger will have a lot of bruises and aches and pains, but he’ll be OK,” said Sheriff Gil Gilbertson. “He will be off work for a while.” The K-9, separated from the passenger section by a barrier, was removed after a handler with whom he is familiar arrived. A veterinarian checked the animal that evening, and he is at home and OK.
“OSP worked the accident scene,” said the sheriff, “and we’re still looking at the accident. (Geiger) “stated he saw ‘an animal’ out of the corner of his eye, and it startled him. Hopefully the camera in the vehicle was on and we can get a better idea of what happened.” There was speculation that the animal that darted in front of the patrol car was a dog.
There was concern at the scene until the officer’s AR-15 rifle was located. It was thought temporarily that it was missing, but it turned up amid the wreckage of the passenger compartment behind the front seat.
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It was noted at the scene that the damaged plastic fence at the top of the embankment is between two fairly large trees. If the patrol car had stuck either of those trees, the outcome of the accident could have been considerably worse.
Geiger also was involved in a crash on Nov. 7, 2007, when he and Basco in their vehicle were struck by a wrong-way driver on 199 near Rogue Community College. In that accident, the deputy, whose car was demolished, was taken by AMR to TRCH, where he was treated and released. The animal was uninjured.
(Editor’s Note: The preceding article is based on information from OSP, JCSO, IVFD and others at the scene).
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