PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A man accused of driving drunk and two others died in a head-on collision on Highway 99 East in Marion County early Sunday morning, authorities said.
According to Oregon State Police, 21-year-old Epifanio Ruiz of Beaverton was heading south in a Toyota Corolla just after 2:45 a.m. when he crossed into the northbound lines and hit a Honda Accord.
Ruiz was life-flighted to a nearby hospital where police say he later died. His BAC level was noted as .24% at the hospital, according to OSP.
His passenger, 22-year-old Jorge Cortez, and the other driver, 26-year-old Gabriel Ortiz, were both pronounced dead at the scene.
Ortiz’s passenger was taken to a hospital but is expected to survive.
The investigation is ongoing, but OSP says they are investigating alcohol as a factor in the crash.
The crash closed the highway for about 4 hours.