Four Cub Scouts and Three Others Injured in Serious Crash

Icy roads cause yet another crash, sending seven people to the hospital for a range of injuries.

(UMATILLA, Ore.) - Seven people were injured, including four cub scouts from the Kennewick area, in a two-vehicle crash Saturday morning on Highway 204 in the Tollgate area of northeast Oregon.

About 8:19, Saturday morning, a 1998 Chevrolet pickup driven by 33-year old Jason Edward Pope, from Kennewick, Washington, was eastbound on Highway 204 near milepost 13 negotiating a right curve when it lost control on an icy section and began to fishtail, according to Oregon State Police (OSP) Trooper Rick Madsen.

The Chevrolet pickup crossed the centerline into the westbound lane and was struck in the passenger side by a westbound 2001 Chevrolet club cab pickup driven by 59-year old Alan Wayne Bennett, from Imbler.

Alan Bennett was seriously injured and transported by air ambulance to St. Mary's Hospital. His passenger, 62-year old Julie Bennett, was also injured and transported to St. Mary's Hospital.

Pope's vehicle also carried four juvenile male passengers who were on a cub scout outing. All five received non-life threatening injuries and were transported to St. Mary's Hospital in Walla Walla.

The four scout passengers from Kennewick are identified as Andrew Pope, Daniel Gordon, Joe Valdez, and Jacob Meise, all aged twelve. The occupants of both vehicles were wearing safety belts and airbags deployed in Bennett's pickup. OSP was assisted at the scene by the Umatilla County Sheriff's Office, Umatilla Tribal Ambulance, Umatilla County Medic 400 Pendleton Ambulance, Milton Freewater Ambulance and ODOT. The roadway was closed for approximately 4 hours.