Hermiston Man Dies in 2-Vehicle Accident in Morrow County

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A Hermiston man died early Tuesday morning in an accident on Interstate 84 in Morrow County.

The Oregon State Police responded to a two-vehicle crash on I-84 near milepost 168 around 5 a.m.

The preliminary investigation indicated a westbound Kia Sorrento, operated by Samuel Burgus, 33, of Umatilla, was slowed in traffic due to a detour related to another crash.  As the Kia slowed and prepared to merge into the slow lane, a Dodge Ram 1500, operated by Miron Kosovan, 23, of Kennewick, Wash., failed to slow for traffic and struck the rear end of the Kia in the fast lane.

A passenger in the Kia, Alexander James Pace, 36, of Hermiston, was declared dead at the scene.

Burgus, the operator of the Kia, and a passenger, Oscar Sanchez, 49, suffered minor injuries.  A fourth occupant of the Kia, Liobaldo Villa Campos, 36, of Hermiston, suffered critical injuries.

The operator of the Dodge, Kosovan, was assessed for injury on-scene.

The highway was impacted for approximately three hours during the on-scene investigation. The investigation is ongoing.

The OSP was assisted by Boardman Fire, the Morrow County Sheriff’s Office, and the Oregon Department of Transportation.