Police Investigate Fatal Traffic Crash on Highway 26 in Welches

Witnesses say one of the vehicles was driving at a high rate of speed just before the crash.

Salem-News.com

(WELCHES, Ore.) - Oregon State Police troopers are investigating Wednesday night's fatal traffic crash that killed a Welches-area man and injured another person on Highway 26 in Welches. The name of the surviving driver is withheld at this time.

OSP Trooper Scott McLeod says he was patrolling eastbound on Highway 26 near milepost 41 last night at approximately 8:49 p.m., when he came upon the scene of a two-vehicle crash resting in the westbound lanes.

Trooper McLeod says he began checking on the vehicle occupants and found one survivor pinned inside a 1993 Pontiac Grand Am four door. Before he was able to begin checking on the occupant of a 2002 Ford Taurus four door, Hoodland Fire Department and AMR ambulance arrived on scene and confirmed the Ford's driver was deceased.

After medical personnel treated the Pontiac's driver and removed him from the car, the 28-year old man tried to flee into the woods but was overtaken and detained by Trooper McLeod and an AMR paramedic. The man was subsequently transported by AMR to Legacy Emanuel Hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. His name is not being released at this time.

A preliminary investigation indicates the Ford Taurus driven by 71-year old Gary Lee Berry of Welches, was attempting to turn left from E. Woodsey Way onto westbound Highway 26 when it was struck in the driver's side by the eastbound Pontiac. A witness said the Pontiac passed an eastbound vehicle at a high rate of speed just before crashing into the Ford. The impact forced both vehicles across the highway where the Ford came to a stop in the westbound lane and the Pontiac stopped in the ditch on the north side of the highway. Berry was using safety restraints and his car's airbags deployed. The investigation is being continued by an OSP crash reconstruction unit working in conjunction with the Clackamas County District Attorney's Office. AMR ambulance, Hoodland Fire Department and ODOT assisted at the scene. The westbound lanes were closed until about 4:00 a.m.