The driver of the Lexus was seriously injured and taken to the hospital for treatment
Columbia County, OR. – One person was killed in a car accident in Columbia County on Saturday night.
The fatal crash happened on Highway 30 near milepost 22 at around 9:14 p.m., according to the Oregon State Police.
70-year-old Gary E. Fowler, of Deer Island, was driving a Dodge Nitro at a high rate of speed and rear-ended a Lexus R330. The Lexus veered off the roadway after the collision and came to rest in the train tracks.
A passenger in the Lexus, 37-year-old Christopher Michael Casillas, of Everett, Wash., was ejected during the crash and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver of the Lexus, a 43-year-old St. Helens woman, was seriously injured and taken to the hospital.
Fowler sustained minor injuries in the accident. He was later booked into the Columbia County Jail for driving under the influence of alcohol, first-degree manslaughter, third-degree assault, and reckless endangering.
More details about the accident were not released.
An investigation into the accident is ongoing.