On Saturday, December 9, at approximately 11:51 p.m. the Oregon State Police responded to a two-vehicle collision on Highway 99E near milepost 40 in Marion County. The preliminary investigation indicated that a Ford Explorer, operated by Mario Cantor-Chocolate (36) of Canby, was traveling northbound when it crossed the centerline and struck a gray Toyota Highlander, operated by Eva Arango-Cortes (44) of Salem, head-on. The operator of the Ford (Cantor-Chocolate) and the operator of the Toyota were declared deceased on-scene. A passenger of the Toyota, Flaviano Rodriguez-Hilario (35) of Salem, sustained serious injuries and was transported to a local hospital. The highway was impacted for approximately 4 hours during the on-scene investigation. OSP was assisted by Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Salem Police Department, Marion County Medical Examiners, Marion County Fire District, and ODOT. This Flash Alert was delayed during next of kin notification.
