4-year-old among 3 killed when storm topples tree onto passing truck, Oregon cops say

A 4-year-old child and two adults died when a storm toppled a tree onto their passing truck on an Oregon highway, state police reported.

A tree crushed the eastbound Ford F-150’s roof at 11:39 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 27, on Highway 26 in Clatsop County, Oregon State Police said in a news release. Police described the tree as large in diameter.

Driver Justin Nolasco Pedraza, 19, of Seaside and passenger Bonifacio Olvera Nolasco, 41, also of Seaside, and a 4-year-old girl were killed, the release said.

Emergency crews responding to the accident found them dead of their injuries.

State police blamed the fallen tree on severe winter storms that lashed the West Coast with rain, wind and snow.

The highway remained closed for 5 hours while rescuers struggled with the weather and fallen tree, the release said.

Clatsop County is on the Oregon coast about 80 miles northwest of Portland.

This story was originally published December 28, 2022 at 10:35 AM with the headline "4-year-old among 3 killed when storm topples tree onto passing truck, Oregon cops say."