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At about 2:30 a.m. Nickolas L. Johnston was racing a friend and accelerated to pass him when he lost control and struck a tree with enough force to eject the car's engine. Johnston suffered a broken leg, broken ribs, and possibly a punctured lung. Valerie Zimich was a passenger in Johnston's vehicle, and she suffered multiple broken bones and a severed right foot. Both peopel had to be extricated from the vehicle. Johnston was taken to Santiam Memorial Hospital, and Zimich was taken to Salem Hospital. Alcohol was a factor in the crash.