A wrong-way motorist is facing many counts, including DUI and vehicular homicide, after colliding with another automobile on State Route 14, killing one person and injuring two others critically.
The driver was recognized by the Washington State Patrol as Erik Mario Moya, 23, of Vancouver. He will be charged on DUI, vehicular homicide, and two counts of vehicular assault on Wednesday afternoon.
The collision occurred just after 11 p.m. on Monday along the Camas Highway. Moya apparently drove eastbound on SR-14 in the westbound lanes for almost 14 miles before colliding with another vehicle.
“What I saw looked like flickering headlights, not bright beams. It was like a standard low beam. “It was strange,” Gale Berry remarked in an interview with KATU News following a close encounter with the driver. “When he got close to me, I tapped on the brakes thinking ‘Am I… is he going to come at me?'”
The other driver perished in the collision. Michael C. O’Brien, 18, of Portland, has been identified. O’Brien’s two passengers, Jack G. Craig, 18, of Portland, and an unidentified 17-year-old, were critically injured in the incident.
The Washington State Patrol stated the response time took “a while” because troopers were busy with other calls.
“We had many units out last night, and they were all busy on separate calls. Trooper Dakota Russell explained the delay: “One of them was processing a DU, and another was out on a potential assault call.”
The highway reopened early Tuesday morning, after officials finished their investigation.
On Tuesday, Portland Public Schools confirmed that O’Brien, Craig, and a third senior, Will Rinehart, attended Roosevelt High School.
“Mico was days away from graduating from Roosevelt,” Principal KD Parman explained. “Mico’s smile illuminated every room, and his kindness and generosity left an imprint on all of our hearts. Mico was kind, happy, and clearly loved by his classmates, teachers, and our school community; our thoughts and prayers go out to Mico’s family and friends.”
Craig and Rinehart are both in stable condition after being hospitalized.
The high school counseling center will be staffed by counselors, social workers, and other mental health support personnel from the district. They will postpone the Senior Awards Ceremony, which was supposed to take place Tuesday evening.
Reference: DUI suspect drove wrong way on SR-14 for about 14 miles before deadly crash, WSP says
