Foggy Crash into Mill Creek Leaves One Dead, One Critical

Investigators say it's unclear at this point what caused the crash, but alcohol involvement has not yet been ruled out.

Photo: Marion County Sheriff's Office

(SALEM, Ore.) - An Aumsville man died early Sunday morning in the 4600 block of Delany Road SE after a violent crash into Mill Creek. According to Marion County Sheriff's Lt. Tim Steele, Portland General Electric crews were called about 5:15 a.m. to neighborhood reports of power outages.

Utility crews responded and began searching for the cause of the outage. Steele said they soon discovered evidence of a car crash and reported it at 7:09 a.m.

As Utility workers continued to search in heavy fog and darkness, they located a grey 2001 GMC pickup partially submerged in Mill Creek just outside the city limits of Turner.

On the west-side bank, 22-year old Benjamin Angueano of Salem, was found alive but unconscious and bleeding.

An ambulance rushed him to Salem Hospital where he remains in critical condition. "It appears Mr. Angueano was ejected from the truck just seconds before it flipped into Mill Creek," Steele said.

Deputies and EMS crews from Turner Fire Department continued the search and found the body of 24-year old James Pasley of Aumsville, trapped in Mill Creek's current and brush 174 feet downstream from his pickup.

His body had to be recovered by experts from Jefferson Fire Department's Swift Water Rescue Team.

Investigators are trying to determine why the pickup left the roadway and if Pasley was ejected before or after the truck entered the water. The truck flipped and rolled several times before resting on its top in the rushing water. Steele said it's unclear at this point what caused the crash, but alcohol involvement has not yet been ruled out. Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to contact Marion County Sheriff Deputy Steve Duncan at 503 588-5032.

The incident remains under investigation.

Source: Marion County Sheriff's Office news release