SUV, Camper Crash into Overpass Pillar on Highway 30

By Sam Lane, Reporter

Officials clean up the scene of a car and camper crash on Highway 30 eastbound on Tuesday, July 17, 2012. The vehicle and the camper crashed into a pillar of the 6th Street SW overpass, sending a man to the hospital with "serious" injuries. (Sam Lane/The Gazette-KCRG)

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By Kara Kelly

Story Created: Jul 17, 2012 at 5:45 PM CDT

Story Updated: Jul 17, 2012 at 6:46 PM CDT

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- A middle-aged man was taken to a local hospital Tuesday afternoon after his car and camper crashed into an overpass pillar on Highway 30.

The man, who was extracted from the vehicle and who officials said had “serious” injuries, was apparently headed eastbound on Highway 30. The man was driving a newer Chevrolet Tahoe and hauling a large camper when he struck one of the middle pillars on the overpass of 6th St. SW.

The man was conversing with officers before he was taken away on a stretcher, they said, and told them another passenger was in the car, but authorities didn’t find anyone when they searched the scene.

Debris from the totaled car and camper was scattered throughout the scene. Officials tore apart the camper, pulling off its siding and removing the equipment inside. A mattress and other pieces of furniture sat on the side of the road as crews cleaned the area.

According to a witness who spoke with officials, the car veered off the highway, striking an outside pillar of the overpass with the passenger side. The truck then spun, causing the driver’s side to hit the inner pillar. The vehicle’s engine compartment then caught fire and the witness said he used a portable extinguisher to put out the blaze.

Cedar Rapids Fire Department spokesman Greg Buelow said the witness’s quick action likely saved the man’s life.

Traffic moved smoothly around the accident even though one lane on the stretch of highway was closed.