Six people were injured Thursday in a multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 84 eastbound in Morrow County.
According to the Oregon State Police, the accident occurred around noon when traffic had slowed or come to a stop due to construction in the area around milepost 156.
The crash involved one commercial semi-truck, one passenger car, one pickup and one pickup towing a trailer. Six patients were transported to various regional hospitals via ground ambulance and LifeFlight with injuries ranging from critical to minor.
William Guthridge, 65, of Silverton, a passenger in the pickup, suffered critical injuries and was transported from the crash scene by LifeFlight to St. Charles Hospital in Bend.
Christopher Guthridge, 27, of Silverton, was the driver of the pickup. He suffered serious injuries and was initially transported by ground ambulance to Good Shepherd Medical Center in Hermiston then transferred by LifeFlight to Oregon Health and Science University in Portland.
Jaimie Starboard, 37, of Baker City, was driving the passenger car and suffered minor injuries and was transported by ground ambulance to Good Shepherd Medical Center. A 12-year-old female passenger in Starboard’s car was transported by ground ambulance to Mid Columbia Medical Center in The Dalles with serious injuries. Two other children in the vehicle were transported to Good Shepherd Medical Center for evaluation.
Austin Pendell, 24, of Summerville, was operating the pickup towing the trailer and suffered minor injuries and was transported by ground ambulance to Good Shepherd Medical Center.
Arthur O’Neal, 41, of Pritchard, Ala., was operating the commerical semi-truck and was uninjured in the crash
The accident remains under investigation by troopers from the Pendleton Area Command with assistance from the Oregon State Police Crash Reconstruction Unit. Due to the complexity of the crash and the number of vehicles involved, the OSP said investigators are still working to determine the exact chain of events in the crash. Preliminary evidence and statements indicate the pickup and trailer combination initially struck the passenger car, then a series of chain reaction crashes occurred.
The interstate remained closed for approximately three and a half hours to allow for investigation and removal of crashed vehicles.
The Oregon State Police were assisted at the scene by the Morrow County Sheriff’s Office, Boardman Fire, and the Oregon Department of Transportation.
