A fatal two-vehicle crash occurred Friday, Nov. 22, near milepost 16 on Highway 228, resulting in one death and two injuries, according to officials from the Sweet Home Fire & Ambulance District (SHFAD) and the Oregon State Police (OSP).
Emergency crews responded to the scene at approximately 5 p.m. after reports of a head-on collision involving a Dodge pickup and a gray Acura SUV. The SHFAD dispatched a command vehicle and two medic units. Life Flight was requested but could not fly due to weather conditions. The response was upgraded to a first alarm to provide additional personnel support.
Preliminary investigations by OSP revealed that the Dodge pickup, driven by Michael Halsell, 36, of Sweet Home, was traveling eastbound when it crossed into the westbound lane, colliding with the Acura.
The driver of the Acura, identified as Alisha Rowlett, 44, of Sweet Home, was pronounced dead at the scene. A passenger in the Acura sustained serious injuries and was transported to Lebanon Community Hospital for treatment. Halsell, the lone occupant of the Dodge, also suffered significant injuries and was transported to Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center in Corvallis.
The crash caused significant traffic disruption, with the highway closed for more than four hours during the investigation. A total of nine SHFAD personnel responded, along with assistance from the Brownsville Fire Department, Linn County Sheriff’s Office, and the Oregon Department of Transportation.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation by OSP.