One person was killed and four were injured in a four vehicle crash that occurred on McKay Road near the intersection with French Prairie yesterday, west of Aurora.
Investigators believe a small SUV was traveling east on McKay Road, when the driver, Mildred Schaber, 81, of Newberg, swerved into the oncoming (westbound) lane for unknown reasons. Schaber sideswiped a large work truck that was westbound on McKay. The truck driver, Clifford Erickson, 39, of Grand Ronde, avoided the head-on collision by steering into the eastbound lane.
Schaber continued westbound and struck an oncoming passenger car head-on. The driver, Catherine Ashley, 51, and her passenger, Kacy McCauley, 29, both Aurora residents, were transported to Salem Hospital for treatment. A fourth vehicle, a pickup truck being driven by 84-year-old Keith Wright, also from Aurora, rear-ended Schaber’s vehicle. Investigators believe the glare from the sun is a contributing factor in the crash.
Erickson and Wright were treated on the scene for minor injuries. Sadly, Ms. Schaber was killed in the collision. She was not wearing a seat belt. The Marion County Sheriff’s Office says seat belts saved an estimated 14,668 lives last year. They urge residents to buckle up and drive safely.
