A 24-year-old Umatilla man died Sunday after his car left Interstate 84 near Arlington and struck a guardrail, coming to rest facing the wrong way in a lane of eastbound traffic. Adhishwar Ramanathan was pronounced dead at the scene in Gilliam County following the single-vehicle crash.
According to East Oregonian, Oregon State Police responded to the fatal crash on Sept. 27 near milepost 140 on Interstate 84 in Gilliam County. Troopers said Ramanathan had been driving a white Toyota Avalon eastbound near Arlington when the car left the roadway.
Vehicle Struck Guardrail, Ended Up Facing Wrong Direction
Police said the Avalon struck the end of a guardrail after leaving the road, then came to rest facing westbound in the eastbound lane, according to the same report. Ramanathan died at the scene, and troopers said the exact cause of the vehicle leaving its lane of travel remains unknown.
Responders from the Gilliam County Sheriff's Office and the North Gilliam County Rural Fire Protection District assisted state police at the scene, per the outlet's account. The Oregon Department of Transportation also helped at the site of the wreck along the interstate corridor.
Investigation Continues
According to KOIN, no further details on the circumstances of the crash have been released, and state police have not indicated what, if anything, contributed to the Avalon leaving the road. The stretch of Interstate 84 near milepost 140 sits in rural Gilliam County, east of Arlington.
