Teen Holds Breath Driving Through Tunnel, Crashes Car

A teen who fainted as a result of holding his breath is blamed for a crash in Portland, according to police.

The 19-year-old man told police he fainted while he was holding his breath as he drove his car through the Dennis L. Edwards Tunnel in Portland. According to the Associated Press, the tunnel is 772 feet long; it would take a car traveling 55 mph about 10 seconds to pass through.

Daniel J. Calhon, of Snohomish, Washington, told investigators he fainted Sunday afternoon while holding his breath in the Highway 26 tunnel near the community of Manning, according to a news release. His car, a 1990 Toyota Camry, drifted across the centerline and crashed head-on with a Ford Explorer. Both vehicles struck the tunnel walls before a pickup hit the Camry.

Calhon and his passenger, 19-year-old Bradley Meyring, of Edmonds, Washington, suffered non-life-threatening injuries, as did the two people in the Explorer: Thomas Hatch Jr., 67, and Candace Hatch, 61, from Astoria. All four were taken to hospitals.

The two people in the pickup were not hurt.

File this under “Why, why, WHY would you do this in the first place??????” Police said drugs or alcohol are not believed to have played a part in the crash. Lt. Gregg Hastings with the Oregon State Police told the press he did not know why Calhon was holding his breath, but said it could be because of a game or superstition.