Highway 18 reopens after crash that left 1 dead, 1 seriously injured

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Highway 18 in McMinnville has reopened after it closed down for several hours following a crash that left one person dead and another seriously injured, authorities said.

At 3:30 p.m. on Friday, public safety personnel responded to the two-vehicle crash east of the Norton Lane intersection, the McMinnville police said. The vehicles involved were a 2017 Chevrolet Colorado pickup and a 2020 GMC Sierra pickup towing a flatbed trailer.

"Based on statements and evidence at the scene, it appeared the Chevrolet pickup (headed eastbound) crossed over the center lane and into the oncoming (westbound) lanes of Hwy 18," the McMinnville Police Department said in a release. "The Colorado pickup struck the GMC pickup in an off-set, head-on manner (front passenger corner to front passenger corner)."

The passenger of the Chevrolet pickup died while the driver was taken to Salem Hospital by ambulance for serious injuries.

The sole occupant of the GMC pickup "did not appear to incur any significant injury but was taken by ambulance to Willamette Valley Medical Center as a precaution," McMinnville police said.

Authorities haven't released any names of the people involved. However, police said they were in the process of notifying the next-of-kin of the person who died.

Highway 18 reopened at 7 p.m. after being closed for 3.5 hours.