A tragic multi-vehicle collision on Highway 97 in Sherman County has claimed the life of one individual and left several others injured, according to Oregon State Police. The crash, which occurred on the afternoon of March 28, involved two commercial motor vehicles and a GMC 3500 close to milepost 6, as reported by the Oregon State Police.
The initial findings suggest that a southbound Kenworth commercial motor vehicle and trailer operated by Satwant Singh, a 33-year-old from Yuba City, California, was unable to handle a curve and encroached upon the opposite lane causing a nearly head-on crash with a northbound Peterbilt, followed by a secondary collision with a GMC 3500, this sequence of events led to both commercial vehicles igniting. Singh was declared deceased at the scene of the incident, as per the authorities.
Also involved was the driver of the Peterbilt, identified as 65-year-old Francisco Sandoval of Snohomish, Washington, who reportedly sustained minor injuries and was treated on the spot. Shawn Hutchinson, a 63-year-old Wilton, California resident and operator of the GMC, was reported to have minor injuries and had to be transported to a hospital. Furthermore, Rajvir Singh, a 31-year-old passenger in the Kenworth, was seriously hurt in the accident and taken to a medical facility for treatment.
The aftermath of the collision caused a lengthy closure of the highway, disrupting traffic for approximately seven hours while the authorities, including Oregon State Police, the Sherman County Sheriff's Office, Sherman County Fire, and ODOT, conducted their investigation and cleared the accident site.
