Linn County Sheriff Bruce Riley reports his deputies are investigating a fatal motor vehicle crash involving a 2014 Kenworth log truck loaded with logs and a Polaris Sportsman All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV).
On September 30, 2016, at 11:06, a.m., the Linn County Sheriff’s Office 9-1-1 Dispatch Center received a call reporting an injury crash near the 50000 block of Gates Bridge East, east of Gates. Gates and Lyons Fire Departments medical personnel arrived and found the ATV rider, Forrest Clayton Norman, 49, of Gates, had sustained serious head injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Deputies learned Norman lives on Gates Bridge East near the location of the crash and was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash. The investigation reveals Norman drove his ATV from his driveway onto the roadway where he struck the log truck heading west bound.
The operator of the log truck, Isaac Robert Smith, 32, of Estacada, is cooperating with the investigation. Smith was wearing his seat belt and he was not injured in the crash.
Deputies are being assisted in the investigation by the Multi-Agency Investigation Team (MAIT), Gates Fire Department, Lyons Fire Department, Linn County Medical Examiner’s Office, Linn County Road Department and Oregon Department of Transportation.
At this time, it appears mechanical issues with the ATV are a possible factor in the crash. Alcohol and speed were not a factor in the crash.
The investigation is continuing.