An unidentified Albany man died Wednesday afternoon, Jan. 4, in a Hwy. 20 crash near Hyak Park, west of Albany.
A Benton County Sheriff’s Office investigation determined that a Ford Ranger driven by 42-year-old Nicholaus Cotter, of Lebanon, was traveling westbound when its small, unloaded trailer detached from the vehicle’s hitch and struck a Honda Civic traveling in the opposite direction. As a result, its 69-year-old driver left the roadway and crashed into a telephone pole. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The uninjured Cotter was arrested for reckless endangering and issued multiple traffic violations before being released at the scene.
The crash investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact Sgt. David Iverson at 541-230-0984 or email [email protected].