Falling trees claim 5 lives, including Prineville truck driver, in three crashes on Hwy. 26, I-84
(Update: OSP releases details of crashes, names of victims)
WARM SPRINGS, Ore. (KTVZ) – Two large trees fell onto U.S. Highway 26 and a third fell on Interstate 84 Tuesday, claiming five lives, including a Prineville truck driver and a 4-year-old girl, as a large winter storm hit the state with strong winds, snow and rain, authorities said.
Oregon State Police responded around 3:30 p.m. to a crash on Highway 26 near milepost 64 in Wasco County.
A preliminary investigation indicated a large tree fell onto the cab of an eastbound Peterbilt commercial truck driven by James Darron Lyda, 53, of Prineville, troopers said. The truck left the highway and Lyda, alone in the rig, was pronounced dead at the scene by medics.
The crash and several fallen trees in the area closed the highway for about three hours. OSP was assisted at the scene by the Hoodland and Warm Springs fire departments and ODOT.
Earlier in the day, around 11:40 a.m., OSP responded to a crash on Highway 26 near milepost 16 in Clatsop County.
Troopers said a large-diameter tree fell onto an eastbound Ford F-150 pickup truck driven by Justin Nolasco Pedraza, 19, of Seaside.
“It was determined the tree fell directly onto the Ford F-150 roof as it was passing by,” troopers said in a news release.
Pedraza and two passengers, Bonifacio Olvera Nolasco, 41, of Seaside and a 4-year-old girl, suffered fatal injuries in the crash and died at the scene.
OSP said the investigation was hindered by the storm, fallen tree and safety concerns. The Highway was closed for about five hours during the on-scene investigation.
OSP was assisted by the Hamlet Fire Department, Elise Vinemaple Fire, the Clatsop County Medical Examiners’ Office and ODOT.
The fifth fatality occurred on Interstate 84 near milepost 40 in Multnomah County.
OSP troopers said a Baker City man was driving a Dodge Ram pickup headed east on the freeway shortly after 2 p.m. when a tree fell before a tunnel and hit the passenger side of the pickup. Passenger Paula Sanchez, 20, of Baker City, died from the impact, and the driver was taken to the hospital.
The freeway was closed for about 2 1/2 hours. OSP was assisted by the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office and ODOT.
ODOT Region 4 spokeswoman Kacey Davey said shortly before 6 p.m. that Oregon Highway 35 also was closed at the junction with U.S. Highway 26.
In an update around 9:30 p.m., Davey said the highway remained closed but that "winds are dying down and crews are removing the falling trees. Cleanup work is expected to last late into the night." A check of TripCheck indicated the road had reopened before midnight.
Follow traffic updates at KTVZ.COM's ODOT TripCheck page.
At Mt. Bachelor, "extremely high winds" (reported at 108 mph) prompted the resort to close all lifts early Tuesday afternoon for the rest of the day. The storm also brought 10 inches of new snow, the resort reported.
Interstate 84 was closed eastbound from Troutdale to Bonneville Dam by a crash at mid-Tuesday afternoon but reopened by about 6:30 p.m.
