Crash Kills One and Injures Five on Hwy 99W (UPDATE)

The Pontiac driver was called in for reckless driving before getting to Lafayette

Photo: Oregon State Police

(LAFAYETTE, Ore.) - One person was killed and five others injured late Sunday afternoon when a passenger car crashed head-on with a sport utility vehicle on Highway 99W entering the south end of Lafayette. Highway 99W was reopened by 10:00 PM.

On September 16th at about 5:20 PM, a 1988 Pontiac Grand Prix driven by 21-year old Braulio Lazaro Juarez, from Dayton, was reportedly driving northbound on Highway 99W entering Lafayette. Preliminary information indicates this vehicle had been reported at about 5:00 PM as a possible reckless driver in the McMinnville area.

As the Pontiac came into the town, it swerved around a vehicle preparing to turn left onto Washington Street into the southbound lane. ne southbound vehicle swerved and was able to avoid colliding with the Pontiac, but a southbound 2004 GMC Yukon with four occupants was unable to avoid the Pontiac and collided head-on with it.

The Pontiac's passenger, 19-year old Jose M. Juarez Cuellar, from Dayton, was pronounced deceased at the scene. Lazaro Juarez, the driver, was critically injured and transported to Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU).

The GMC's driver, 30-year old Maribel Dobbins, from McMinnville, and three children received non-life threatening injuries. Maribel Dobbins was transported to Newberg Hospital. 9-year old Jacob and 6-year old Melinda Dobbins were initially transported to Newberg Hospital but have been transferred to Legacy Emanuel and OHSU, respectively. 8-year old Sarah Dobbins was transported to Newberg Hospital.

Oregon State Police troopers from the McMinnville Area Command office are continuing the investigation with assistance of the Yamhill County Multi-Agency Traffic Team comprised of members from Newberg Police Department, McMinnville Police Department, and Carlton Police Department. Fire personnel from McMinnville and Lafayette, and ODOT assisted at the scene.