EDDYVILLE – A Newport resident and a Portland man were killed Monday evening when an unsafe attempt to pass another vehicle resulted in a three-vehicle crash 10 miles east of Eddyville, Oregon State Police said Wednesday.
State police said their preliminary investigation indicated that Jose M. Zapata, 29, of Portland was headed west in a Toyota Rav4 when he attempted to pass a Dodge Ram pickup and trailer driven by Raphael F. Spielman, 78, of Gaston, and struck an eastbound Acura driven by Scott T. Novotny, 34, of Newport.
Police said Zapata was not wearing a seatbelt and died at the scene. His passenger, Joseph M. Cruz, 31, of Portland, was hospitalized with serious injuries.
Novotny was taken to Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital in Newport where he later died. Spielman and his passenger, Janice Spielman, 75, were also hospitalized with serious injuries.
The highway was impacted for approximately six hours during the investigation. The cause of the crash is believed to be unsafe passing, police said.