FATAL SCENE: An accident on I-84 claimed the life of Harold Richardson, 49, of Bend Wednesday. Richardson, whose truck was carrying apples, had pulled over to the side of the freeway and was outside of his truck when his rig was struck by a triple-trailer rig. The triple caught on fire. (The Observer/PHIL BULLOCK).

By T.L. Petersen

Observer Staff Writer

Motorists were quick to turn on their cell phones when they passed by an Interstate 84 accident Wednesday morning that killed one truck driver and injured a second.

The accident was reported by multiple cell phone callers at about 7 a.m. 16 miles west of La Grande, a part of Union County that Oregon State Police Sgt. Larry Tucker called, "sort of a no-man’s land out there."

From what the state police determined, a single tractor and trailer semi combination was pulled over and stopped on the edge of the interstate. The driver, Harold Richardson, 49, of Bend, was apparently outside of his truck, which was carrying a load of Washington apples.

When officers arrived, Richardson was found apparently to have been struck and was dead at the scene, lying in the roadway.

Tucker said that the right front corner of an eastbound semi tractor rig pulling a triple trailer USF Reddaway combination had struck the left rear corner of Richardson’s trailer.

The impact caused flames to break out in the Reddaway truck, consuming the cab and the front trailer. It was driven by Robert Huey, 40, of Gig Harbor, Wash.

Huey was transported to Grande Ronde Hospital by ambulance, where he was treated for a broken knee. He was released and planned to have surgery closer to his home, police said.

Meacham’s volunteer firefighters initially tried to control the fire and were soon aided by a truck from the La Grande rural fire department. More water arrived with a firefighting unit from the Umatilla Tribes.

Huey was interviewed at the La Grande hospital, Tucker said, but the OSP is not releasing a cause for the accident until an accident reconstructionist has studied the scene. More measurements at the scene were being made today.

According to the OSP, Huey was helped from the burning cab by another truck driver who was passing by.

The Reddaway truck was carrying a mixed load of material, including almost 1,000 pounds of flammable paint.

Eastbound traffic was backed up for 2 miles after the accident. ODOT closed the lanes at exit 216 south of Pendleton and detoured travelers to Highways 11, 204 and 82. Westbound lanes remained open.

While a single lane of traffic was allowed past the accident area after 11:15 a.m., Tucker said both lanes of the interstate were not reopened until late Wednesday night.

Haroldson’s truck was towed by Fenn Towing of La Grande, where its salvageable cargo was transferred to another trailer and continued on its way. Huey’s truck and trailers were towed by Woodpecker Trucking of Pendleton.

La Grande’s HazMat squad contained the paint spill from Huey’s truck, while a HazMat squad from Baker City was called to remove the materials from the triple trailers.

"At this point, Robert Huey has not been cited," Tucker said.

The officer said the crash remains under investigation. The OSP’s completed report will be turned over to the Union County District Attorney’s Office for any prosecution.