SEAL ROCK – A 59-year-old Waldport man was killed and two other Waldport residents seriously injured in a head-on crash Sunday night on U.S. Highway 101 just north of the Driftwood Beach state recreation area.
Oregon State Police said Michael Noel of Waldport died about 6:23 p.m. Sunday when his southbound Toyota Corolla crossed into the oncoming lane. His car hit a northbound Mercedes SUV driven by Lorrie Ann Owens, 54, of Waldport, police said in a news release Monday. The Mercedes rolled into a ditch, trapping Owens and her passenger, Norma Parry, 78, also of Waldport.
Noel died at the scene, police said. Owens and Parry had to be extricated from their SUV and were taken to Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital in Newport.
The highway was closed or had detours for five hours. In addition to state police, also responding were Lincoln County Sheriff’s deputies, Seal Rock and Central Oregon Coast fire departments, and ODOT incident response.