Father, 4-year-old son hurt in U-Haul crash on I-5 - KPTV - FOX 12

Father, 4-year-old son hurt in U-Haul crash on I-5

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SALEM, OR (KPTV) -

A man and his 4-year-old son were trapped inside their U-Haul truck after it rolled over on Interstate 5 in Salem.

The crash happened at 12:45 a.m. Thursday near milepost 253.

SLIDESHOW: U-Haul truck crashes on I-5

Troopers said Joshua Johnston, 26, of Forest Grove was driving the 20-foot truck filled with household items when it went off the right shoulder. The U-Haul truck slammed into a concrete barrier and overturned on its side.

The driver and his son, Connor Johnston, 4, were trapped inside the truck. Once Salem firefighters got them out, they were taken to the hospital. Troopers said their injuries are not life-threatening. Both father and son were using proper safety restraints, according to police.

"They are pretty shaken up," said Connor's mother, Brittany White.

She said her ex-boyfriend was moving to Jefferson for a job and lost almost all of his belongings in the crash. Wooden furniture splintered into pieces. Kitchen items are dented and clothes are stained with food, she said.

"The first thing Connor said was, 'My toys are plastic. I think they'll be saved.' And that was basically all that was saved," said White.

White said her ex-boyfriend only has a mattress in his new house since all of his furniture was destroyed in the wreck. She has set up a fund for donations in his and her son's names at the U.S. Bank branch in Forest Grove.

White said some members of the community have already come forward to offer help.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation, however White believes it was caused by a tire blow out.

Southbound lanes of Interstate 5 were shut down for an hour. Traffic was diverted at the Market Street interchange until the scene was cleared.

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