A Tigard man sustained serious leg injuries Thursday evening when he was pinned between his semi-truck and a snowplow just west of La Grande after his parked truck slid on an icy overpass into the ODOT vehicle, police reported.

Rodney Reed was seriously injured when he was pinned in the open doorway of the semi-truck. - OSP photo

Oregon State Police Sgt. Larry Graves said Rodney F. Reed, 52, got out of his semi-truck just before 7 p.m., January 31, after he exited eastbound Interstate 84 and parked on the overpass at Upper Perry Interchange.

An Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) snowplow drove up on the scene, the sergeant said, and stopped in front of the truck. The snowplow driver, 40-year old Paul Brainerd of Cove, got out and the two men began talking.  As they conversed, the semi began to slide down an incline toward the back of the snowplow.

“Both men ran to get out of the way,” Sgt. Graves said. “Reed jumped onto the steps of his truck and opened the door to get inside,” he said, which was when the truck slammed into the snowplow, pinning him and seriously injuring his leg.

OSP and La Grande emergency personnel responded, and took over caring for Reed, who was receiving first aid from the snowplow driver.