UMATILLA COUNTY, OR - On Sunday, December 8, 2024, at 10:09 a.m., Oregon State Police responded to a commercial motor vehicle versus pedestrian crash on Interstate 84, near milepost 210, in Umatilla County.
The preliminary investigation indicated a westbound Volvo commercial motor vehicle and trailer, operated by Phill Culp (59) of Vancouver (WA), left the slow lane for unknown reasons, struck the guardrail and two pedestrians, before travelling down a steep embankment and rolling onto its side.
The pedestrians, John Charles Harrington (25) and Marcus Anthony Paul (24) of Pendleton, were both declared deceased at the scene.
The operator of the Volvo (Culp) suffered minor injuries and was transported to an area hospital.
The highway was impacted for five hours during the on-scene investigation. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
OSP was assisted by Pendleton Fire, Pendleton Police Department, Umatilla Tribal Police Department, and ODOT.
# # #
About the Oregon State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit (CRU)
The Oregon State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit (CRU) is a specialized unit responsible for investigating fatal and critical injury collisions on Oregon’s highways. The team provides expertise in the documentation, investigation, and analysis of complex motor vehicle crashes and crime scenes. They receive specialized training in the use of advanced measuring techniques and small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) for on-scene investigations. The CRU team includes ACTAR accredited collision reconstructionists and technical collision investigators deployed across the state.
