Falling tree kills two Seaside residents, 4-year-old girl on Highway 26
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Three people were killed on Highway 26 Tuesday after officials say stormy weather caused a large tree to fall on a Ford F-150 traveling eastbound in Clatsop County, three miles west of Elsie, at approximately 11:39 a.m.
Oregon State Police said that the driver, 19-year-old Justin Nolasco Pedraza of Seaside, and both of the truck’s passengers: 41-year-old Bonifacio Olvera Nolasco of Seaside and a 4-year-old girl, were declared dead when paramedics arrived on scene.
“It was determined the tree fell directly onto the Ford F150 roof as it was passing by,” Oregon State Police said.
The investigation was reportedly slowed by poor weather and safety concerns involving the downed tree. The highway remained closed for approximately 5 hours while OPS investigated the crash.
Th Hamlet and Elsie-Vinemaple Rural Fire Protection Districts, the Clatsop County Medical Examiners' Office and the Oregon Department of Transportation also responded to the scene and aided OSP with the investigation.