By Beth Slovic
oregonlive.com
LINN COUNTY, Ore. — A medical helicopter called to the scene of a fatal crash on Interstate 5 on Friday couldn’t immediately respond due to interference from a civilian drone flying over the crash site, spokespeople for the Oregon State Police and Life Flight Network said.
“It is a large safety risk we do not undertake,” said Natalie Hannah, a spokesperson for the medical helicopter provider.
The Linn County crash killed the driver, 45-year-old Dustin Andrew Brown of Sweet Home, and injured his 19-year-old daughter and an additional 19-year-old passenger.
An Oregon State Police spokesperson said Brown lost control of his Hyundai while trying to avoid a rear-end collision. All three people in the car — whom troopers said did not appear to be wearing seatbelts — were ejected from the car as it rolled over, coming to a stop on top of Brown. Troopers and other motorists lifted the car off Brown, but he was declared dead at the scene.
The medical helicopter had no way to contact the operator of the drone to make sure it didn’t run into rescuers. But Hannah, the spokesperson for Life Flight, said first responders were able to take the two passengers to a hospital by ground instead, and so the flight was called off.
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