On Wednesday, September 11, 2019 at about 10:30 a.m., Oregon State Police (OSP) and emergency personnel responded to a three-vehicle crash on State Route (SR) 82 near milepost 38. Preliminary investigation revealed that a Ford F150 pickup, operated by Christy ERICKSON, age 31, from La Grande, with two child passengers, was eastbound negotiating a curve when her vehicle left her lane of travel and sideswiped an on-coming Subaru Outback, operated by Mary IMPORTICO, age 31, and passenger Ryan IMPORTICO, age 32,both from Portland. The collision caused the Ford to continue to the left into the oncoming lane and struck a Dodge Ram pickup pulling a trailer nearly head-on, operated by Colby RIMMER, age 25 and passengers Daniel RIMMER, age 53, Michael CRAMER, age 41, and John KRAUS, age 38, all from California. All three occupants from the Ford were transported to the Wallowa County Hospital where one child passenger was pronounced deceased at the hospital. The second child passenger was transported by air ambulance to a Boise Hospital. ERICKSON was treated and released for her injuries and no other occupants were transported for injuries. State Route 82 was closed for approximately five hours and one lane opened up for three hours while the on-scene investigation was conducted.
