An 85-year-old Washington man was killed in a single-vehicle crash early Saturday morning on Interstate 84 in Umatilla County, Oregon State Police reported. The accident, which occurred near milepost 190, involved an eastbound Chevrolet Venture that was travelling through a construction zone at the time of the incident.
According to the initial investigation, the driver, identified as Kenneth Leroy Stout of Ilwaco, Washington, attempted to quickly pass multiple vehicles on the inside shoulder before losing control. The venture then entered the median and rolled several times before coming to a stop on the westbound shoulder. Stout, notably not wearing a seatbelt, was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene. Oregon State Police stated that the primary cause of the crash appears to be unsafe passing.
The unfortunate incident didn't affect traffic on the highway as the investigation was conducted off the roadway. When reaching the scene, OSP was aided by multiple local emergency service departments, including Echo Fire Department, Stanfield Fire Department, Umatilla County Fire District 1, and the Umatilla County Sheriff's Office. The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) also provided assistance.
Further inquiries into the accident are currently being pursued to better understand the sequence of events leading up to the crash. As authorities continue to investigate, they underline the importance of adhering to traffic rules, especially in construction zones where lanes can often suddenly merge or end. Since the investigation is ongoing, additional details regarding the contributing factors to the accident have yet to be fully disclosed.
