OSP identifies motorcyclist killed in Hwy. 26 semi crash

(Update: OSP identifies driver as Prineville man)

A motorcyclist ran a stop sign and was struck and killed by a semi-truck early Saturday morning on Highway 26 west of Prineville, Oregon State Police reported.

OSP identified the motorcyclist on Sunday as William Eric McCloughan, 41, of Prineville.

Around 2:30 a.m. Saturday, McCloughan’s blue Yamaha sport bike was reported to be driving recklessly at high rates of speed just west of Prineville, said OSP Sgt. Michael Berland.

Minutes later, he was heading south on Woodward Road, approaching Highway 26, where he failed to obey a stop sign and continued across the highway, directly in front of a westbound 2017 Freightliner semi truck, Berland said.

McCloughan was struck and killed, while the semi drove up onto the bank on the west side of the road and overturned, coming to rest on its side in the eastbound lane of Highway 26, the trooper said.

The truck driver, Eric Cooper, 51, of Mossyrock, Washington, was taken by ambulance to St. Charles Prineville and treated for minor injuries, Berland said.

The crash investigation and recovery of the semi tractor-trailer closed Highway 26 for about five hours.

OSP was assisted at the scene by the Crook County Sheriff’s Office, the Prineville Police Department, ODOT and Crook County Fire and Rescue.