Highway wreck kills one

A Canby man was killed Monday evening, February 16, when his car was hit head-on as he drove westbound on Highway 126 toward Sisters.

Thomas Lee Tye, 61, died at the scene before Cloverdale fire rescue units arrived.

According to sheriff's department reports, the accident occurred at 5:05 p.m., when a 1985 GMC pickup truck driven by 22-year-old Michael Lee Hocker crossed over the centerline into the westbound lane and hit Tye's 1988 Ford Tempo head-on.

The wreck occurred at a tight curve approaching the intersection of Highway 126 and Camp Polk Road. Deputies at the scene indicated that Hocker probably did not hit the brakes before he collided with Tye.

Both drivers were wearing seatbelts, and, according to sheriff's reports, there was no evidence that alcohol was involved in the accident.

Hocker, a Redmond resident, had to be extricated from his truck. He was transported by AirLife to St. Charles Medical Center, where he was treated and released.