Icy Conditions Lead to Sunday Morning Tragedy

This was the second crash due to ice in the area within hours.

Photo: OSP

(SEASIDE, Ore.) - A Sunday morning traffic crash turned fatal on Highway 26 near the Saddle Mountain junction east of Seaside. The crash involved a passenger car that lost control on an icy road and collided with a fire truck parked at the scene of an earlier traffic crash in the area.

According to Trooper Dave Corkett, on February 20, 2011 at approximately 10:30 a.m. Hamlet Fire Department personnel and medics were on scene of a traffic crash on Highway 26 near milepost 12.

The Hamlet fire truck with volunteer firefighter 35-year old Kyle Mergel, seated inside, was stopped in the right hand eastbound lane with emergency lights activated when a 2002 Kia Optima four-door driven by 30-year old Jessica S Maclay, was westbound and lost control, spinning around and across the highway where it crashed broadside into the front of the fire truck.

She was critically injured and extricated by firefighters before she was transported by LifeFlight to Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in Portland. She died after arrival.

Her husband, 32-year old Thomas Maclay III, was seated in the right front seat and received minor injuries. He was transported by ambulance to Columbia Memorial Hospital in Astoria. Their 8-month old daughter was in an infant seat in the rear seat and was not injured.

The firefighter, Mergel, was was not injured.

OSP troopers from the Astoria Area Command office are continuing the investigation. Clatsop County Sheriff's Office, Elsie-Vinemaple Rural Fire, and ODOT assisted at the scene.

Highway 26 eastbound lanes were closed until about 3:00 p.m.

Source: Oregon State Police Photos by Oregon State Police