DOUGLAS COUNTY, OREGON — A San Diego truck driver faces manslaughter and DUII charges after his stalled semi blocked a lane on Interstate 5 near Canyonville and was struck by a Honda CRV, killing an 18-year-old and seriously injuring his father and twin sister.
Oregon State Police responded at 3 p.m. on April 6 to a two-vehicle crash near milepost 90 on northbound I-5. Brenden Larry Christensen, 61, of San Diego, was driving a white Freightliner commercial motor vehicle hauling a loaded trailer when it stalled in the outside lane on an uphill grade. The truck had stalled multiple times while climbing the grade before the crash.
A maroon Honda CRV driven by Davin Jack Smith, 18, of El Sobrante, California, struck the stalled Freightliner. The impact ignited both the Honda and cargo in the Freightliner. Smith was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Victims
Two passengers in the Honda — Lawrence Wayne Smith Jr., 60, and Annika Jace Smith, 18, both of El Sobrante — were airlifted to area hospitals with serious injuries. Oregon State Police confirmed the three are a father and twin children. A fourth occupant, family friend Ivan Amadeo Gonzalez, 19, of Hercules, California, was transported by ground ambulance with minor injuries.
Christensen was not injured. Police say impairment is believed to be a contributing factor. Officers arrested him on allegations of DUII and manslaughter.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Canyonville Fire Department, Glendale Valley Fire Department, and the Oregon Department of Transportation assisted at the scene. I-5 was impacted for approximately three hours during the investigation.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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