Sweet Home police and fire crews responded to a single motor vehicle crash at 1294 44th Ave. on Wednesday, May 15, at 2:46 p.m. Callers reported that the involved vehicle crashed into storage units at the location and the crash appeared to be causing a fire.
Upon arrival, officers located a 2007 Chevrolet Silverado which through preliminary investigation was believed to be traveling northbound on 44th Avenue before veering off the roadway and crashing into the storage units.
Officers and citizens used fire extinguishers to minimize the threat of fire. Officers were able to gain access to the vehicle where they located a male who was unresponsive. They pulled the occupant out of the vehicle and assisted Sweet Home Fire Department personnel in life-saving efforts. Those efforts were eventually stopped after determining the occupant was deceased.
With the assistance of personnel from the Medical Examiner’s Office, it is believed the operator of the involved vehicle, Phillip Wayne Stafford, 76, of Sweet Home, suffered from an emergency medical problem causing the vehicle to veer off the roadway and crash. A deputy with the Linn County Sheriff’s Office assigned to the Multi-Agency Investigation Team assisted SHPD in surveying the crash scene.
If anyone has any information that may be beneficial for the investigation, contact Sergeant Hickcox with the Sweet Home Police Department by phone or email at 541.367.5181 or [email protected].