Oregon pays $150k to family of man crushed by tree

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – The state of Oregon has paid $150,000 to the estate of a man who died when a tree fell across the Historic Columbia River Highway and onto his car.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports 27-year-old Jorge Figueroa was visiting the Columbia River Gorge from the Seattle area on June 28, 2015, when the tree crashed down onto the Saturn sedan he was driving.

The family faulted the Oregon Department of Transportation for failing to remove the decaying tree near Corbett, saying it posed a significant risk to the public.

The case had been scheduled to go to trial this week in Multnomah County Circuit Court, but was dismissed after the settlement was reached.

A lawyer representing Figueroa’s estate didn’t return messages seeking comment.

An ODOT spokesman declined to say why the state settled or answer questions about whether the department was aware of the tree’s condition.

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Information from: The Oregonian/OregonLive, http://www.oregonlive.com