A 33-year-old Hood River man died early Sunday after his Subaru Outback left the southbound lane of Oregon Route 35, tore through a guardrail and plunged down an embankment into trees near milepost 100.5. The crash happened at about 2:36 a.m., and a passenger who survived with non-life-threatening injuries later told troopers that alcohol had been consumed before the wreck.
The 33-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene, according to The Oregonian/OregonLive. Columbia Community Connection identifies Omar Julio Solano-Delgado as the 33-year-old man who died. The surviving passenger was treated at Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital, according to Columbia Community Connection News. The outlet reports the crash site sits roughly one mile south of Tum-A-Lum Lumber along Highway 35. The exact cause of the lane departure remains under investigation.
A Witness Gets Arrested at the Scene
While Oregon State Police worked the crash, they arrested a witness who had stopped nearby. Troopers took 26-year-old Gerardo Flores Chavez of Hood River into custody on suspicion of DUII after he showed signs of impairment and refused a breath test, the same account states. A search warrant later produced a blood-alcohol reading of 0.11 percent, above Oregon's 0.08 percent legal limit for driving.
Under Oregon Revised Statute 813.010, driving under the influence of intoxicants is a Class A misdemeanor, carrying penalties of up to 364 days in jail and fines as high as $6,250, along with mandatory license suspension and required substance abuse treatment, according to the Oregon State Bar. Oregon State Police investigated the fatal crash, and troopers can seek judicial search warrants for blood samples when a suspect refuses a breathalyzer, per the Oregon Secretary of State.
A Dangerous Stretch of Mountain Highway
Highway 35 is a state route running through steep mountain drainages and agricultural valleys between Interstate 84 in Hood River and U.S. Highway 26 near Mount Hood, according to Hood River County records.
The corridor has seen other serious wrecks. Columbia Gorge News has reported a fatal single-vehicle crash at milepost 74. The report also references crashes in Hood River County in February 2025. Statewide, roadway-departure crashes like Sunday's are part of Oregon's traffic-safety picture.
Impaired Driving's Toll on Oregon Roads
Impaired driving is a factor in Oregon motor-vehicle fatalities, and DUII arrests occur. Oregon's implied consent laws require blood or breath testing upon a suspected DUII arrest, which is what led investigators to seek the warrant used against Flores Chavez.
The Highway 35 crash occurred in the same month as a separate fatal plane crash in Hood River County. Two weeks ago, a Hood River plane crash killed two when a Mooney M20C aircraft went down in orchard land near Parkdale, a community south of Hood River. Investigators have not indicated any connection between the two incidents.
