Fatal Crash – Interstate 84 – Union County - 09/29/26

UNION COUNTY, Ore. (29 September 2026) – On Monday, September 28, 2026, at approximately 8:47 a.m., Oregon State Police responded to a fatal crash on Interstate 84 near milepost 278 in Union County.

The preliminary investigation indicated a Freightliner tow truck, operated by Dennis James Fenn (50) of La Grande, was stopped on the westbound shoulder near North Powder to hook up a disabled Peterbilt semi-truck and trailer, operated by Kevin Wesley Russell (46) of Leachville, Arkansas. A westbound Kenworth semi-truck and trailer, operated by Mark William Galyen (52) of Baker City, left the roadway, collided with the disabled semi-truck and trailer, and struck the driver of the disabled semi-truck, who was standing outside the vehicle.

The operator of the disabled Peterbilt semi-truck (Russell) was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The operator of the Kenworth semi-truck (Galyen) was transported to an area hospital with minor injuries.

The operator of the tow truck (Fenn) was reportedly not injured.

The crash remains under investigation.

The highway was impacted for approximately six hours during the on-scene investigation.

OSP was assisted by the North Powder Rural Fire Protection District and the Oregon Department of Transportation.   
 

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About the Oregon State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit (CRU) 
The Oregon State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit (CRU) is a specialized unit responsible for investigating fatal and critical injury collisions on Oregon’s highways. The team provides expertise in documenting, investigating, and analyzing complex motor vehicle crashes and crime scenes. They receive specialized training in using advanced measuring techniques and small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) for on-scene investigations. The CRU team includes ACTAR-accredited collision reconstructionists and technical collision investigators deployed across the state.