Marion County Man Strikes Power Pole, Dies in Crash

Jacob Abbas was the sole occupant of the car and died at the scene from his injuries.

Jacob Abbas died in a crash early this morning. (Family photo)

(SALEM) - A 26-year old Marion County resident died in a single car crash on Talbot Road SE in Jefferson early this morning.

Marion County deputies were called to the crash at 12:29 a.m. Sergeant Todd Moquin was the first law enforcement officer to arrive at the scene, however another local man told Salem-News that he had already taken the pulse of the deceased.

Moquin found a 1989 Toyota crashed into a power pole in front of 1919 Talbot Road SE, in Jefferson. The crash knocked down live power lines, limiting Deputy and medic access to the car until the power was turned off.

The preliminary investigation, conducted by Deputy Scott Kometz, identified the driver as Jacob Abbas. He was the sole occupant of the car and died at the scene from his injuries.

Deputies learned that Abbas had attended a party at a home on Talbot Road. He borrowed the Toyota from a friend at the party and drove to get some cash at an ATM in Jefferson. He crashed while returning to the party. The power pole was broken into three pieces from the impact.

Mr. Abbas was driving westbound on Talbot Road SE when he failed to negotiate a right hand bend in the road. The car left the road and struck the power pole, impacting the driver's side door. Initial indications are that excessive speed was a factor. Medical Examiner tests on Abbas' blood will determine if alcohol was a factor in the crash.

The crash scene was near the location of the party that Abbas had attended, so friends and family members learned of the crash before our Chaplain could contact next of kin to make notifications of his death.

It is unknown of Abbas was using the seatbelt in the car. Talbot Road was closed for several hours until the scene could be cleared and power returned.

Abbas' family provided the attached photo for media use. No photos from the scene are available at this time. The investigation remains open.

Source: Marion County Sheriff's Office

Here are the sights and sounds of incident early this morning by Jerry Freeman, Salem-News.com: