Vancouver driver unhurt in fiery I-5 crash in Oregon

A Vancouver man escaped injury Thursday morning when his tractor-trailer rig crashed into the rear of a car that was being towed on Interstate 5 near Sutherlin, Ore., south of Eugene.

About 5:45 a.m. Thursday, Vladimir Chernyak, 49, was driving a FedEx truck south at 55 mph and pulling two trailers, according to a bulletin from the Oregon State Police.

Headed south ahead of Chernyak was Cherise Parry, 42, of Bandon, who was driving a 1992 Chevrolet pickup and towing a 1965 Chevrolet car.

Chernyak crashed into the rear of the car, causing it to catch fire and come unhitched from the pickup, the bulletin said. Chernyak’s truck pushed both Chevrolets more than 400 feet before coming to a stop.

Parry was treated at a hospital and released. A trooper ticketed her for allegedly possessing less than one ounce of marijuana, the bulletin said. Her passenger, a 16-year-old boy, was not injured, nor was a 51-year-old man who was a passenger in the Fed-Ex truck.

Troopers issued no additional tickets as they investigated the accident, the bulletin said.