Cows on I-5 cause crashes

RICE HILL — A Washington man was seriously injured early this morning when several loose cows caused two vehicles to crash on Interstate 5, according to the Oregon State Police.

Jun Ge, 29, of Bellview, Wash., was driving a 1999 Ford Escort north when the car hit one of at least eight cows running in the road near Milepost 146 around 12:30 a.m.

After striking the cow, the Escort continued more than 350 feet across the center median and into the southbound lanes. A northbound semitruck also struck one of the cows, but only received minor front-end damage.

Ge and passenger Hua Wang, 28, also of Bellview, were taken by ambulance to Mercy Medical Center in Roseburg. Ge was transferred to Legacy Emanuel Hospital in Portland, where he remained in serious condition later this morning, a hospital spokeswoman said. Wang was treated and released at Mercy.

The semitruck driver, Ronald H. Mass, 62, of Cottage Grove, did not report any injuries.

The owner of the cows, identified by police as Stu Hawkins, 65, of Oakland, arrived at the scene to remove the remaining animals.