5 die in Oregon after trees fell on several cars in extreme weather
Five people died in Oregon on Tuesday after extreme weather caused trees to fall onto vehicles on several highways, state police said.
The first incident occurred on Highway 26 near mileage 15.5 at about 11:39 am local time in Clatsop County, Oregon, approximately two hours from Multnomah County, where Portland is located.
A preliminary investigation found that a severe weather event caused a “large diameter tree” to fall directly onto a passing silver Ford F-150, police said.
The driver, Justin Nolasco Pedraza, 19, and his passengers, Bonifacio Olvera Nolasco, 41, and a 4-year-old girl, sustained life-threatening injuries in the collision and were found dead by emergency crews, police said .
Hours later, Oregon State Police responded to an incident on Interstate 84 near mileage 40 in Multnomah County in which a black Dodge Ram pulling a U-Haul, driven by a 43-year-old man, he was hit by a fallen tree, police said.
The passenger, Paula Chamu Sánchez, 20, “died of the impact with the tree,” police said, and the driver was taken to hospital for treatment.
Another crash occurred on Highway 26 near mileage 64 in Wasco County, about two hours outside of Multnomah County.
“A preliminary investigation indicated that due to winter weather, including snow and high winds, a large tree fell on the cab” of an eastbound Peterbilt commercial vehicle driven by 53-year-old James Darron Lyda, police said.
Police said Lyda was pronounced dead at the scene.
