NORTH POWDER, OREGON — A 46-year-old Arkansas truck driver who had pulled his disabled Peterbilt onto the shoulder of westbound Interstate 84 near North Powder was struck and killed Monday morning when a Kenworth semi-truck and trailer left the roadway and crashed into his truck before hitting him as he stood outside the vehicle.
Kevin Wesley Russell of Leachville, Arkansas, was pronounced dead at the scene. Oregon State Police responded to reports of the fatal crash around 8:47 a.m. on September 28 near milepost 278, close to the Clover Creek exit approximately eight miles north of North Powder.
A tow truck operated by Dennis James Fenn, 50, of La Grande, had already stopped to assist Russell and was in the process of hooking up the disabled Peterbilt when the crash occurred. Mark William Galyen, 52, of Baker City, was driving a westbound Kenworth semi-truck and trailer when it left the roadway and struck the disabled Peterbilt and then Russell. Galyen was transported to a local hospital with minor injuries. Fenn was not hurt.
The westbound lanes of I-84 were closed for approximately six hours while investigators worked the scene. The North Powder Rural Fire Protection District and Oregon Department of Transportation assisted with the response.
Why the Kenworth left the roadway has not been determined. The investigation remains ongoing.
Russell’s death is a reminder of the dangers faced by truck drivers who must work alongside active interstate traffic when a vehicle breaks down and requires roadside assistance.
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