Gresham motorcyclist killed in crash with semi east of Burns

A Gresham man was killed Wednesday in a crash east of Burns when he slowed to turn left and collided with a semi-truck that had begun to pass him, Oregon State Police reported.

OSP troopers responded shortly after 9 a.m. to the reported crash on Highway 78 at Newton Road, 21 miles east of Burns, said Sgt. Michael Berland.

A preliminary investigation found that both vehicles were traveling east on the highway when the motorcycle operator, Joshua Grant, 42, of slowed to turn left onto Newton Road, Berland said.

The semi-tractor trailer driven by Terry Farris, 42, of Nevada, began to pass on the left as the motorcycle turned into the passenger side of his vehicle.

Grant was pronounced dead at the scene. Farris was unhurt in the crash, and Berland said “the incident was determined to not (be) criminal in nature.”

OSP was assisted by the Harney County EMS, Harney County Sheriff’s Office, Harney County District Attorney’s Office and the Oregon Department of Transportation.