A Pendleton man was killed Sunday evening in a crash while driving the wrong way on Interstate 84 in Baker County.
Oregon State Police troopers received a call around 9:45 p.m. regarding a wrong-way driver on I-84 near milepost 294. While troopers were on the phone with the complainant, the suspect vehicle – a black Ford Focus – crashed into an eastbound commercial motor vehicle. The driver of the Ford Focus, Joseph Sizemore, 32, of Pendleton, was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Preliminary information indicated Sizemore had just left the Baker Valley rest area and traveled westbound into the eastbound lanes. The Ford Focus crashed into a 2016 Freightliner commercial vehicle (CMV) tractor/trailer. The 2016 CMV was being driven by Jonathan M. Lawrence, 26, from Hammond, Ind. After the initial crash, the 2016 CMV’s trailer crashed into another commercial truck being driven by Isaac J. Pitts, 34, from Hahira, Ga.
Neither of the CMV drivers were injured but, due to the damage, both CMVs had to be towed from the scene. The cause of the crash is being investigated as possible impairment of Sizemore.
