Crash Involving Wrong Way Driver Kills One, Injures Four

Fatal traffic crash happened in Highway 26 in the Boring area.

Photo of fatal crash near Boring Oregon courtesy: Oregon State Police

(BORING, Ore.) - Oregon State Police troopers are investigating a two-vehicle head-on crash involving a wrong way driver Friday afternoon on a stretch of Highway 26 in the Boring area. Lieutenant Gregg Hastings with OSP, says one person was killed and four others injured.

"Preliminary investigation indicates on December 18, 2009 at approximately 5:35 p.m. reports were coming in regarding a wrong way driver traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes of Highway 26 near Boring," Hastings said.

"This area is within a three mile stretch of Highway 26 east of Gresham where the eastbound and westbound lanes are separated by a grassy center median."

He says shortly after 5:35 p.m., a Toyota Prius traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes collided with a westbound Chevrolet S10 four-door pickup with four occupants.

Hastings says the impact appears to have occurred in the left westbound lane.

The adult male driver of the Toyota was pronounced deceased at the scene. He was using safety restraints. His name is withheld pending next of kin notification.

The Chevrolet pickup was driven by an adult female with three juvenile passengers. All four, whose names are still unconfirmed, were transported to Legacy Emanuel Hospital.

One with serious injuries went by LifeFlight and the other three, all believed to have non-life threatening injuries, by ground ambulance.

Pending the ongoing investigation, the names may not be available for release until Saturday.

OSP troopers from Government Camp and Portland are continuing the investigation.

Clackamas County Sheriff's Office, Sandy Police Department, Boring Fire Department, Clackamas County Medical Examiner's Office, AMR and ODOT assisted at the scene.

Eastbound lanes were closed about one hour before one lane was re-opened. Westbound lanes remained closed.

You can visit the Salem-News.com Road Report to get current conditions, you can also find updated travel information may be available on ODOT's website at www.tripcheck.com.