Police Say Forest Grove Man Died in High Speed Crash

A driver reportedly crossed the center line and collided with a large John Deere tractor pulling a steel hay trailer.

Photo courtesy: Sgt. Rob Ray/Washington County Sheriff

(FOREST GROVE, Ore.) - Washington County Sheriff's Deputies responded to a crash Saturday at 6:19 p.m. after reports of a vehicle colliding head-on into a tractor pulling a trailer.

Sgt. Rob Ray with the Washington County Sheriff's Office, says the vehicle apparently crossed the center line of Northwest Cornelius-Schefflin Road causing the collision.

"This is north of the city of Cornelius which is serviced by the Washington County Sheriff's Office. The driver of the vehicle died at the scene."

Ray says deputies responded to the vehicle that had crashed head-on with a tractor pulling a hay bail trailer.

"Witnesses told deputies a silver 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix was driving erratically and passed a vehicle at a high rate of speed in the no-passing zone northbound on NW Martin Road."

He says the witnesses told deputies that the same Pontiac passed three more vehicles, again at a high rate of speed in two additional no-passing zones as it merged onto NW Cornelius-Schefflin Road.

Washington County Sheriff's Deputies responded to a crash after reports of a vehicle colliding head-on into a tractor pulling a trailer.

Ray says the vehicle apparently crossed the center line of Northwest Cornelius-Schefflin Road causing the collision.

"Deputies learned that the Pontiac which was driven by 30-year old Jeremy Bryant from Forest Grove, continued driving at a high rate of speed when it failed to negotiate a sweeping right hand turn."

The Pontiac reportedly crossed the center line and collided with a large John Deere tractor pulling a steel hay trailer. The collision caused extensive damage to the Pontiac and detached the large trailer from the tractor. Mr. Bryant was pronounced dead at the scene, Rob said.

The driver of the tractor, Rafael Lopez from Gaston, was transported to Tuality Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. NW Cornelius-Schefflin road was closed for about four hours while the Sheriff's Office Crash Analysis Reconstruction Team (CART) investigated the crash.