***Tillamook County Sheriff’s Office Report – April 11, 2023 – 1:12 pm ***
At approximately 10:30am this morning, Tillamook County Sheriff’s Deputies Jordan Reyes, Chris Rondeau and Ben Berger, responded with Netarts-Oceanside Fire Rescue, Tillamook Ambulance and the Oregon State Police to a report of a vehicle that crashed into a building on Pacific Avenue in Oceanside.
The single vehicle left the roadway and struck a rock wall causing it to partially flip on its side and into the building that houses the Three Arch Inn, Oceanside Surf Co. and the Current Cafe. Employees of the cafe were working along the wall when the car struck the building. Although the walls partially caved in tossing shelves and equipment, including striking an employee with an object, no injuries inside the building were reported.
Netarts-Oceanside Fire personnel worked with hydraulic rescue tools to carefully extricate the driver (sole occupant) of the vehicle. The man was conscious and alert when loaded into the ambulance. The reason for the crash was initially unclear.
Oregon State Police Sgt. Matthew Gordon is the lead investigator of the crash as Pacific Avenue is also State Route 131 and falls under OSP’s primary jurisdiction. Therefore, any further information regarding this crash will come from OSP.
Netarts-Oceanside RFPD want to thank all of our community supporters for the donations that have been made to our Volunteer Association. The thousands of dollars donated by the public allowed us to purchase the battery powered hydraulic extrication tools that were crucial in today’s event. A huge thanks should also go to our training division and members for all the hours spent in learning the operations and techniques of tool usage which was crucial in performing a safe victim removal.
From the Oceansider News, Jerry Keene –
Fire Department, County Sheriff and State Police officials converged in Oceanside today (April 11) in response to reports that a northbound car on Pacific Avenue had swerved, flipped and crashed into the side of building that houses the Three Arch Inn and the Current Cafe/Surf Shop. Cafe owner Corey Shields stated that Cafe barista Bennett Hoglund was working inside when the car’s front end penetrated the wall, sending shelves and dishware flying. Hoglund – who suffered only minor injuries – immediately exited the building, approached the smoking vehicle and reached in a window to turn off the engine. The driver of the car remained trapped behind the wheel for a half-hour or so until Fire Department officials arrived to remove the rear-end door and extricate him.
Damage Inside Current Cafe
Shields indicated that the Cafe would be closed pending safety inspections but would reopen as soon as possible. Three Arch Inn manager Susan Moreland stated that the Inn suffered no damage and did not anticipate any interruption of its operations.
The driver’s identify and medical condition has not been officially disclosed although one onlooker shared that they recognized him as a local resident. Others relayed that it appeared the car’s driver had swerved off of the road upon encountering a delivery vehicle parked in the road at the front of the Cafe.
