Crash On Snowy Santiam Pass Kills 2, Injures 4: OR State Police

SANTIAM PASS, OR — Two men — from Portland and Silverton, respectively — were killed in a car crash on the snow-covered Santiam Pass Sunday. Four other people from the Salem area were injured, according to Oregon State Police.

Joshua Lyons, 34, and Timothy Hays, 47, were traveling east toward Central Oregon on Highway 22 in a black 2017 Nissan Armada. Salem residents Alan Freeman, 54, and Shaun Dorschel, 33, and Jefferson resident Donald Suklis, 56, along with a juvenile, were traveling west toward Salem in a Chevy Silverado that was pulling a large trailer.

Around 4:30 p.m. Jan. 21, about 5 miles north of the Highway 22-Highway 20 intersection, Lyons lost control of the Nissan as he was making what OSP officials described as an "unsafe pass" in the passing lane near Mile Post 76 and Scar Mountain Road. Sliding on the snow-covered highway, the Nissan's driver's side slammed into the front-end of Freeman's Chevy.

Lyons and Hays were killed in the collision, while Suklis was taken to St. Charles Medical Centers in Bend with serious injuries. Freeman, Dorschel, and the juvenile passenger were treated for minor injuries and released.

Employees at Tyco Simplex Grinnell's Lake Oswego office, Lyons and Hays were traveling to Central Oregon for work and were expected to be gone for one week.

Patch has reached out to Simplex Grinnell and will update this post if the company responds.

OSP spokeswoman Lt. Cari Boyd told Patch neither speed nor impairment are considered factors in the crash.

Image via Oregon State Police