MARION COUNTY, Ore. – One man is dead after he merged into the path of an 18-wheeler on Sunday afternoon.
Oregon State Police (OSP) says at 2:39 p.m., it responded to a four vehicle crash on Interstate 5, near milepost 272, in Marion County.
Police say the preliminary investigation indicated a Chevrolet Silverado, operated by Didier Lair Fuentes, 26, of Keizer, attempted to merge onto the southbound lanes from Highway 214 when it maneuvered hard left across the southbound lanes of travel.
The Chevrolet entered the path of a southbound Western Star commercial motor vehicle and trailer, operated by Manmohan Singh, 36, of Surrey, British Columbia, which resulted in a side impact collision. The collision caused the CMV to jack knife across the interstate towards the median, striking and dragging a Jeep Grand Cherokee, operated by Jeff David Peterson, 63, of Keizer, into the median. A southbound Toyota Matrix, operated by Ashley Danielle Peugh, 34, of Murphy, Idaho, narrowly missed the involved vehicles, however was struck by debris from the wreckage.
Fuentes was sent to a local hospital but did not survive.
Singh and Peterson were reportedly uninjured while Peugh suffered minor injuries.
OSP says the highway was impacted for approximately four hours during the on-scene investigation. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.
