Michael Joseph Sampson,John Charles Harrington Obituary, – Oregon State Police are currently conducting an investigation into two separate fatal incidents involving pedestrians along Interstate 84, which occurred on consecutive days and resulted in the deaths of three individuals. On Monday evening, a man from Hood River lost his life after being struck by a semitruck near milepost 64 in Hood River County.
Authorities reported that 38-year-old Michael Joseph Sampson was running east on the westbound on-ramp before entering the interstate, where he was hit by a commercial truck driven by 62-year-old Carl Frank from Kelso, Washington. Sampson was pronounced dead at the scene, while Frank was unharmed in the incident, which necessitated the closure of nearby sections of the interstate for three hours.
The previous day, a collision near milepost 210 in Umatilla County resulted in the deaths of two men from Pendleton who were walking along I-84. According to the Oregon State Police, a semitruck, driven by 59-year-old Phill Culp from Vancouver, Washington, veered out of the slow lane for reasons yet to be determined, struck the guardrail, and collided with the two pedestrians before careening down a steep embankment and overturning.
The deceased pedestrians were identified as 25-year-old John Charles Harrington and 24-year-old Marcus Anthony Paul, both of whom were pronounced dead at the scene. Culp sustained minor injuries and was transported to a hospital. A section of the interstate was closed for five hours while the investigation was underway.
Captain Kyle Kennedy of the state police stated that he does not have an explanation for why the pedestrians were on the interstate. Both incidents are still under investigation.
