A Molalla man died Wednesday evening in a three-vehicle crash along Hwy. 213 near Mulino.
Oregon State Troopers responded to a report of a crash at about 5:13 p.m. on Nov. 27 southbound near milepost 10.5.
Investigators initially found that a black Mazda MZ6, driven by Delfino Palacios Navarro, age 54, of Molalla, was traveling southbound when it crossed into the northbound travel lanes while attempting to negotiate a curve.
The Mazda struck a white Ram CS5, operated by Ryan Lynch, age 37, of Oregon City. The impact caused the Ram to turn into the southbound lane and crash head-on into a silver Ford Escape, operated by Stacy Flintjer, age 60, of Mulino.
The Mazda was believed to be the same vehicle associated with a driving complaint reported a few minutes before the crash. The driver of the Mazda (Navarro) was transported by air ambulance to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Flintjer was transported to an area hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. The highway was impacted for approximately four hours during the on-scene investigation by OSP’s Collision Reconstruction Unit.