Oregon Car Crash In Tunnel Was The Result Of Breath Holding Superstition Game


A potentially deadly car crash in a Portland tunnel on Sunday was the result of a breath holding game that the driver was engaged in at the time of the three-car pile-up.

19-year-old Daniel J. Calhon from Snohomish, Washington, passed out while he was holding his breath as he drove through the tunnel with his friend, Bradley Meyring, of Edmonds.

On Sunday afternoon, as Calhon entered the tunnel, he allegedly took a deep breath and held it for at least a minute as he tried to concentrate on driving his car, a 1990 Toyota Camry.

The Camry, which was being driven through the Highway 26 tunnel situated near the northwest Portland community of Manning, veered across the centerline and collided with a Ford Explorer.

It was reported that both of those vehicles hit the walls of the tunnel before the crash but then the Camry was struck hard by a third vehicle, a pickup truck.

Fortunately for all of the people involved in the crash, including the people in the Explorer, 67-year-old Thomas Hatch Jr and 61-year-old Candace Hatch, both from Astoria, only minor injuries were sustained in the car crash in the tunnel.

The driver who held his breath, causing the crash, is being prosecuted heavily by the police and has been charged with reckless driving, three counts of reckless endangerment, and fourth-degree assault by a Washington County Circuit Court.

Lt. Gregg Hastings from the State Police said to reporters that even though he wasn’t totally sure why Calhon held his breath while driving in the tunnel he believes it was something to do with a superstitious game he was playing.

Obviously, many people have their little superstitions and idiosyncrasies, like not walking beneath a ladder or the idea that a broken mirror means seven years of bad luck. But isn’t holding one’s breath for so long while driving a bit over the top?

Share your thoughts on the matter with the readers in the comments feed below.

Share this article: Oregon Car Crash In Tunnel Was The Result Of Breath Holding Superstition Game
More from Inquisitr