Two people killed in pair of state Hwy. 22E crashes

(Update: Juvenile killed was 12-year-old boy)

A 69-year-old Mehama woman and a 12-year-old boy male were killed in separate crashes one day apart on state Highway 22E in Marion County, Oregon State Police said Monday.

The first crash occurred mile milepost 21 shortly after 3 p.m., OSP Captain Tim Fox said.

An eastbound Subaru Legacy driven by Anita Benefiel Sweeten, 69, was stopped in the road, signaling to turn left, when an eastbound van rear-ended Sweeten’s car, pushing it into the path of a westbound Subaru Forester.

Sweeten died at the scene and five other occupants of the three vehicles were taken to Salem Hospital for treatment.

The investigation into the crash is continuing, Fox said.

The second crash occurred shortly after 7 p.m. Friday near Gates, in the area of milepost 39.

Fox said a westbound Toyota 4Runner driven by Cody Schalk, 33, of Salem, was trying to pass when he encountered oncoming traffic, clipping a Kia Optima driven by a Bend man.

The 4Runner left the road, returned to it and collided with an eastbound 2013 Ford Fiesta driven by Raul Bello, 34, of Bend.

There were three passengers in the Fiesta, which ended up on its side in the ditch, Fox said.

A 12-year-old boy died at the scene after “significant life-saving efforts,” Fox said. A female juvenile was seriously injured and flown by air ambulance to Oregon Health and Science University. A third passenger, Vanessa Bello, 29, of Bend, was taken by ambulance to Salem Hospital and admitted, while Raul Bellow was treated at the hospital and released.

Schalk and his four passengers, all from the Salem area, were treated at the scene for minor injuries.

The crash initially closed the highway for two hours, at which point OSP and ODOT established a detour for further on-scene work.