1 dead, 2 injured in crashes that closed Interstate 84 in Oregon

One person died and two people were hospitalized after multiple crashes involving semitrailers on Interstate 84, roughly 25 miles west of Ontario, Ore., according to the Oregon Department of Transportation.

Emergency personnel responded to a report of a semi rollover around 12:25 p.m. MT Tuesday on eastbound I-84 near mile marker 349. Ivan Berezin, 34, of Gresham, Ore., was driving east in a 2006 Freightliner with a 2010 Utility trailer, on I-84 when he veered into the median, back onto the road and then his truck overturned. Berezin was flown to Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise, Oregon State Police report.

About 20 minutes later two more semis crashed, according to OSP. Eastbound traffic had been stopped — including a semi driven by Abraham Garza Tanguma, 22, from Rio Grande City, Texas. Around 12:55 p.m., Milton Vaughn, 62, of Altoona, Kansas, driving east in a 2015 Freightliner with a Great Dane trailer, crashed into stopped traffic, including Tanguma. Tanguma was taken to Saint Alphonsus’ hospital in Ontario.

Vaughn died at the scene from injuries he received in the crash. He was transporting aluminum oxide powder, a hazardous material, and his trailer was breached during the accident. A crew from H2O Environmental in Boise helped with the hazmat cleanup.

ODOT warned at 3:45 p.m. Tuesday that the freeway was closed in both directions from Ontario as far as Pendleton. Both westbound and eastbound I-84 lanes reopened Tuesday night.

This story was originally published March 15, 2016 at 5:04 PM with the headline "1 dead, 2 injured in crashes that closed Interstate 84 in Oregon."