Five Injured, Three Critically, in Crash Near Wallowa Lake

The five patients were reportedly at Wallowa Lake for a family reunion.

Salem-News.com

(WALLOWA LAKE, Ore.) - An early Sunday morning single vehicle crash along Highway 351 at Wallowa Lake injured five people Sunday morning. Three are reported to have injuries described as critical.

Oregon State Police Spokesman Lt. Greg Hastings, says deputies from Wallowa County were already on the lookout for the people hurt in the crash. They reportedly had been involved in an altercation at a Joseph-area bar.

The altercation at the bar in Joseph allegedly involved the same five people, who left the scene in a 2002 Chrysler Sebring four-door. A responding deputy drove toward Wallowa Lake on Highway 351 looking for the car, when he spotted a car crash near milepost 5.

Hastings says the deputy found the crashed car off the highway, about 100 feet up the driveway with five injured men inside.

Enterprise and Wallowa area emergency medical personnel responded and transported the five occupants to Enterprise.

"Three critically injured patients were transported by air ambulance to Spokane's Sacred Heart Hospital. Two patients with non-life threatening injuries were transported by ground ambulance to Wallowa Memorial Hospital."

The five patients were reportedly at Wallowa Lake for a family reunion.

The injured occupants are identified as the driver, 34-year old Brian B. Beauloleil of La Grande. He is in critical condition at Sacred Heart Hospital.

The right front passenger, 31-year old Lawrence W. Puckett Jr. of Arlington, Texas, is in stable condition at Wallowa Memorial Hospital. The left rear passenger, 32-year old Damon Lee Stevens of La Grande, is in critical condition at Sacred Heart Hospital.

The right rear passenger, 35-year old Stacy D. Williams of Bonney Lake, Washington, is in stable condition at Wallowa Memorial Hospital.

The car's center rear passenger, 26-year old Michael Lee Williams of Redmond is in critical condition at Sacred Heart Hospital.

Hastings says OSP troopers from La Grande, Enterprise and Ontario areas responded to investigate the crash. Alcohol is believed to be a contributing factor. Safety restraint use information is to be determined.