UMATILLA COUNTY, Oregon – On Friday, September 13, 2024 at approximately 5 p.m. Oregon State Police responded to a single vehicle crash in Umatilla County near milepost 214 on Interstate 84.
Investigators learned that a Peterbilt semi-truck and trailer that was heading east left the roadway for an unknown reason, damaging approximately 100 feet of guardrail before hitting a concrete overpass railing and falling approximately 25 feet to the roadway below.
The driver of the semi-truck was Franklin Rufus Bevins, 42, of Richlands, Virginia. A passenger was on board the vehicle, Ginger Elaine Bevins, 43, also of Richlands, Virginia. Both the driver and the passenger were declared dead at the scene. They were husband and wife.
Travel on Interstate 84 was impacted for approximately four hours during the investigation at the scene. The cause of the crash is currently under investigation.
Oregon State Police was assisted by the Umatilla Tribal Fire Department, Umatilla Tribal Police Department and the Oregon Department of Transportation.