Two teenage drivers, one who had a provisional driver's license for only one week, were cited for reckless driving after a speed race between the two resulted in a crash on Highway 20 east of Lebanon, troopers reported.
Oregon State Police (OSP) from the Albany Area Command office responded to a report of a single-vehicle crash near milepost 17 on Highway 20 in Linn County about 3 p.m. Friday, February 9. Troopers located a yellow 1981 Mazda pickup that had left the roadway and crashed into a power pole.
Witnesses on scene told troopers they saw the pickup, driven by a 16-year old Lebanon boy, speeding and passing cars in the highway median prior to the crash. Neither the driver nor his 17-year old male passenger were injured, police said.
Two teens, 16- and 17-year-old boys from Lebanon, were cited for reckless driving and other related charges following a crash resulting from a speed race. OSP photos.
OSP Recruit Moran discovered during the investigation that a second vehicle, a 1988 Honda Prelude stopped at the accident scene, had been racing the Mazda prior to the crash. The Honda, occupied by a 17-year old male driver from Lebanon and his 18-year old passenger, was traveling 80 mph prior to the crash, Moran said.
Both drivers were cited to appear in Linn County Juvenile Court for reckless driving, reckless endangerment, and speed racing. The 16-year-old driver was also ticketed for driving outside license restrictions because his provisional license does not allow for passengers in the vehicle. Both teens were released to relatives.