SALEM, Ore. — A truck driver has been convicted on seven counts of manslaughter for causing a deadly May 2023 crash on Interstate 5. Lincoln Smith, 54, drove his semi-truck off the road and hit a van parked on the shoulder, smashing it into another semi-truck that was pulled over in front. Seven of the van’s occupants died, and three others were injured.
The victims were all farmworkers who had been returning home after work. There were 11 people riding in the van, one of whom had stepped outside after the van pulled over at a point between Albany and Salem.
In addition to the seven counts of manslaughter, Smith was charged with three counts of third-degree assault and one count each of reckless driving and driving under the influence of intoxicants, with prosecutors claiming that he had tested positive for meth, cocaine and fentanyl. He was found guilty on all charges except the DUII…