Driver killed by hay bales
 

Oregon State Police (OSP) have tentatively identified the the driver and vehicle believed to be involved in Thursday morning's fatal traffic crash on Highway 58 west of Oakridge. A Sparks, Nevada man died in the crash when his commercial truck collided with several large bales of hay that fell off a semi-trailer traveling in the opposite direction about seven miles west of Oakridge. No other information will be released at this time while OSP troopers continue this investigation.

According to Oregon State Police (OSP) Sergeant Andy Kenyon, on March 4, 2010 at approximately 5:25 a.m. a commercial truck driven by GREGORY RALPH MULLER, age 37, from Sparks, Nevada was eastbound on Highway 58 near milepost 27. While negotiating a sharp curve, MULLER was passing a truck pulling two trailers loaded with bales of hay coming westbound. Several bales of hay weighing about 1,000 lbs. each fell off the lead trailer and struck the truck driven by MULLER, demolishing the cab in which he was in.

The truck pulling the trailer from which the hay came off did not stop and was last observed westbound. The vehicle and driver have not been identified. Information indicates this truck was a white commercial truck hauling two trailers of oversize bales of hay. A witness stated the hay fell from the front of the load on the lead trailer.

MULLER was pronounced deceased at the scene. He was driving for Sherwin Williams Company transporting clothes and furniture. His vehicles came to rest in a ditch along the eastbound side of the highway.

OSP troopers from Springfield and Oakridge responded to the scene along with ODOT, and Dexter and Oakridge Fire and EMS.

Highway 58 was closed approximately 4.5 hours while troopers investigated. ODOT cleared several bales of hay from the roadway.

I hope they catch the idiot that lost his load and he does some hard time.

Oregon State Police news via FlashAlert.Net

I haven't seen any of the doubles pulling loads of bales. I have seen a number of single trailers loaded with hay. And, silently, I questioned the way they were loaded. I can't imagine any way you could suddenly lose 2,000 pounds off the lead trailer without realizing something happened. I would expect, when they catch up with him, he'll get leaving the scene of a fatal accident. Much worse than if you just scratch some body's fender.

Kind of makes you wonder... Did he have a few strikes against him already? Or was he even qualified to drive a big truck? Maybe no "DOUBLES/TRIPLES" endorsement on his license. He may normally not go on the road, and not even have a CDL. Farm use. But still not exempt on the highway.

I used to run back and forth on 58 everyday and saw a lot of hay trucks coming from the central area going west. Several times they lost it on the downhill side coming off Willamette Pass because they didn't heed the 40 mph turns on a 5% grade. I talked with one driver pulling doubles and he was 120k lbs loaded! Geez, no wonder they smoke the brakes. Why this hay truck lost his load is only due to the drivers negligence on securement. He may very well be an undocumented driver and or worker for that matter, who knows. I just hope he gets caught soon. I may have talked to the deceased driver a time or two last year in Oakridge where the SW guys like to take a break, I don't recall names too well.

Me too. :(
All it takes is some chains/straps.
Surely it wouldn't be too hard to find a truck pulling a set of flatbeds, with a few round bales.

WW, I was pulling some 6 ft rolled bales for my granddad this past summer double stacked. I had 1 fall off the side at the barn, had I not happened to see it in my mirror I would have never known it rolled off the side of the trailer. I never felt a difference at all with 9 other bales on there still.

I passed a farmer the other day pulling the 6 ft rolled bales on a gooseneck double stacked behind a dually. He had zero tiedowns on them, had he made any type of hard braking the top row would have been like a couple of giant bowling balls coming forward.

Those were square bales of Alfalfa. I'm surprised they were only 1,000 pounds!! Gonna be tough to find the piece of garbage driving the truck, since it could have been from WA, OR, ID, MT, CA, UT or NV. All those states have hay-haulers that use the doubles. Most of those trailers have a layer of hay between the axles.

http://www.flashalertnewswire.net/im...wy58mp27.2.JPG


http://www.flashalertnewswire.net/im...wy58mp27.2.JPG

I saw that in the article. I thought, 'only 1,000lbs?' Must be weeds,... or straw. :p

I could see losing the round ones. But, I've hauled the square ones from CO to PA. I suppose you can lose anything if you want to, but the square ones make a good load. Must not have had any straps on them.

I have also hauled the big squares on a tractor trailer, as long as they are strapped properly they should be fall off, but usually guys only have one strap holding each stack of bales, so if that one strap broke, i could see how the bales fell off.