PHOTO COURTESY OF OSP
A 37-year-old Washington man died early Thursday morning when he crashed a stolen vehicle as he attempted to elude a Stanfield police officer along Highway 207 southbound near Pine City in Morrow County.
The victim had stolen the car about an hour earlier when it was temporarily parked at the Pilot Truck Stop in Stanfield while the driver was delivering newspapers. Oregon State Police (OSP) is investigating the fatal traffic crash at the request of Stanfield Police Department and Morrow County Sheriff’s Office.
According to OSP Sgt. Sterling Hall, a newspaper delivery person stopped at the Pilot Truck Stop in Stanfield at around 4:13 a.m., leaving the car unlocked with keys inside as he dropped off USA Today newspapers. While away from the vehicle, someone stole it and drove away.
A Stanfield police officer was called out from his residence to take a report. Shortly after arriving at the truck stop and while taking the report, the stolen vehicle was spotted driving past the truck stop. Officer Mike Elwood got into his patrol car and attempted to stop the stolen vehicle. According to the OSP, the driver failed to yield and attempted to elude the officer toward Echo and onto area roads, eventually going southbound on Highway 207.
At approximately 4:44 a.m., as the stolen car fled southbound near milepost 16, the driver failed to negotiate a left downhill curve. The vehicle traveled off the highway and down an embankment where it rolled several times before coming to rest in a dirt field about a hundred feet from the roadway. A Umatilla city police officer arrived on scene shortly after the crash to assist the Stanfield police officer.
The driver was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene. His name will be released this evening to allow family additional time for next of kin notifications.
OSP was assisted at the scene by Morrow County Sheriff’s Office, Stanfield Police Department, Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office, and Hermiston Fire & Emergency Services.
