4 are injured in I-84 crash
By Terry Murry on Saturday, August 31st, 2024 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
ECHO – The crash that caused the closure of Interstate 84 eastbound at milepost 194.5 late Friday afternoon was a single-vehicle rollover that saw the driver and three passengers suffering injuries.
OSP reports that the vehicle left the roadway, over-corrected, and went up an embankment before rolling over. The trooper said the occupants were not wearing seatbelts and that three were ejected while one was thrown around inside the vehicle.
The investigation concluded that a possible vehicle malfunction coupled with an operator error caused the crash. One of those involved had to be taken by air ambulance to a Portland trauma center. The trooper did not identify that person, nor did the report give details of the injuries. The investigation did conclude that no crimes were committed.
The driver was identified as Cole Michael Fletcher, 18. The passengers were a 17-year-old male, 22-year-old Hunter Chance Jenks, and 19-year-old Izaak R. Valdez. The only hometown listed in the trooper’s report was that Valdez is from La Grande.
The scene was diagrammed by the OSP Crash Reconstruction Unit. The state police were assisted by the Stanfield Police Department, the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office, the Oregon Department of Transportation, and the fire departments from Hermiston and Echo.
Contributed photo of the traffic backed up due to the crash on 8-30-24
