Tillamook County Sheriff's Office, Oregon - Press Release 09-27-2008
http://www.tillamooksheriff.org

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Two Dead, Three Critically Injured at Sand Lake Recreational Park

**Update at Bottom**

On September 26, 2008 at about 9:30pm at the Sand Lake Recreational Park, two Off Highway Vehicles (OHV) crashed head-on. Two persons were killed in the crash, three persons were critically injured.

Emergency Personnel requested three ambulances and both Life Flight and REACH helicopers to respond.

REACH helicopter, based out of Corvallis Airport, arrived at Sand Lake about 10:30pm for first patient.

Life Flight, based out of Aurora Airport, was originally sent to Tillamook Hospital, but due to foggy conditions was divered to the New Safeway parking lot and arrived about 10:55pm for second patient.

REACH helicoper returned to the New Safeway parking lot at about 12:40am to pickup third patient.

All three patients were transported to Trauma Hospitals (Legacy Emanuel or OHSU) in Portland.

Agencies involved in Incident were: Tillamook County Sheriff's Office, Oregon State Police, USFS, Nestucca Fire & Rescue, Tillamook Fire Department, Tillamook Hospital, Tillamook Ambulance, Lifeflight, REACH, and Wauds Funeral Home.


Updated 09-27-2008 at 7:30pm
Tillamook County Sheriff Todd Anderson said two dune buggy-type vehicles called sand rails collided about 9:30 p.m. in a flat open area where visibility should not have been a factor.

David Reiman, 47, of Vancouver, Wash., was driving in one of the vehicles alone. In the other were four people: Driver David Leach, 56, of Hillsboro; Phillip Snider, 25, of Aloha; Chiara Acker, 19, of Aloha; and another unidentified woman.

Leach and Acker died at the scene while Reiman, Snider and the other woman were taken by helicopter to Legacy Emanuel Hospital and Oregon Health and Science University in Portland.

An Oregon State Police crash reconstruction team was called to help investigate the crash. Anderson said alcohol was a factor in the wreck, but he declined to go into specifics about whom authorities believe was drinking. It was also not immediately known how fast the two were driving at the time of the collision. The speed limit on the dunes is 25 mph.

Anderson said only one person witnessed the wreck.

The crash was only the latest fatality at the recreation area; Anderson said someone was killed there earlier this year as well.

This summer, county commissioners approved a curfew restricting off-road vehicles at Sand Lake from midnight to 6 a.m. following other alcohol-related wrecks. Alcohol is also banned on the sand.