Fatal Crash – Highway 11 – Umatilla County - 11/06/26

UMATILLA COUNTY, Ore. (6 Nov. 2026) – On Wednesday, November 4, 2026, at approximately 5:45 p.m., Oregon State Police responded to a fatal vehicle-versus-pedestrian crash on Highway 11 near milepost 33 in Umatilla County.

The preliminary investigation indicated a blue Dodge Dakota, operated by Leslie Franklin King (89) of Milton-Freewater, was traveling northbound on Highway 11 near Appleton Road when it struck a pedestrian, Barbara Jane Freel (79) of Milton-Freewater, who was attempting to cross the highway. The pedestrian was reported to have been wearing dark clothing during low-light conditions.

The pedestrian (Freel) was pronounced deceased at the scene despite life-saving measures performed by bystanders.

The operator of the Dodge (King) and an adult passenger were reportedly not injured.

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

OSP was assisted by the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office, Milton-Freewater Police Department, Milton-Freewater Rural Fire Department and EMS, 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.