Police Identify Victim in Fatal Traffic Crash South of Burns Junction

The lone driver who died was a 21-year old serviceman in the U.S. Air Force.

Salem-News.com

(ONTARIO, Ore.) - Police have identified the victim in a fatal crash yesterday as a 21-year old Air Force serviceman. Eugene Kem Ardissono died Tuesday afternoon in a single vehicle rollover crash on Highway 95 about 39 miles north of the Oregon/Nevada border.

At the time of the fatal crash, Eugene Ardissono was reportedly enroute from visiting family members in California to his new assignment at Mountain Home Air Force Base.

Oregon State Police say the crash happened at approximately 2:00 PM, when a Ford Ranger pickup driven by Eugene Ardissono of Fremont, California, northbound on Highway 95 near milepost 83, drifted across the southbound lane onto the west shoulder. Mr. Ardissono over-corrected and the pickup came back onto the highway and rolled multiple times before coming to rest upright in the middle of the highway.

Mr. Ardissono was pronounced deceased at the scene. He was using safety restraints.

According to family members, Eugene Ardissono had just completed a two-year overseas assignment and was on two week leave visiting family before leaving for his new assignment in Idaho.

Oregon State Police troopers from the Ontario Area Command office, with the assistance of an OSP Collision Reconstructionist, are completing the investigation. The cause of the crash is undetermined at this time.

Malheur County Sheriff's Office, ODOT and local emergency responders assisted at the scene. The highway has been partially blocked during the investigation.