Baker County, OR (April 9, 2025) – John Carl Allyn, 85, of Baker City, was killed in a collision involving a semi-truck on Interstate 84 late Saturday night.
Incident Details: The crash occurred around 10:52 p.m. near milepost 345 on eastbound I-84. Allyn was driving a Chevrolet Tahoe, which was stopped in the slow lane for unknown reasons, when it was struck from behind by a Volvo commercial motor vehicle and trailer. The truck was driven by Anatolii Gulei, 36, of Vancouver, Washington, who was uninjured in the crash. Allyn was airlifted by LifeFlight to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. The collision caused significant disruption to traffic for approximately six hours.
Investigation and Legal Considerations: The Oregon State Police are continuing their investigation into why Allyn’s vehicle was stopped in an active traffic lane. Questions will likely focus on whether the Tahoe was experiencing mechanical issues, if it had proper hazard signals activated, and whether the truck driver had sufficient time to react. In fatal commercial vehicle collisions, both vehicle data recorders and driver logs are typically examined to determine if driver inattention or fatigue played a role. If negligence is found, there may be grounds for a wrongful death claim by Allyn’s family.
Source: KATU