MALHEUR COUNTY, OR -- On Tuesday, July 8, 2025, at approximately 12:31 p.m., Oregon State Police (OSP) responded to a single-vehicle fatal crash in Malheur County near Harper.
The preliminary investigation indicated that a blue Kenworth commercial motor vehicle, operated by Alberto Ruiz Gomez (33) of Hermiston, was traveling eastbound on Highway 20 near milepost 220 when it left the roadway onto the eastbound shoulder for an unknown reason. The operator overcorrected, causing the semi to flip over.
The operator (Gomez) was declared deceased at the scene.
The highway was impacted for approximately 1.5 hours during the on-scene investigation.
OSP was assisted by the Malheur County Sheriff’s Office and the Oregon Department of Transportation.
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About the Oregon State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit (CRU)
The Oregon State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit (CRU) is a specialized unit responsible for investigating fatal and critical injury collisions on Oregon’s highways. The team provides expertise in documenting, investigating, and analyzing complex motor vehicle crashes and crime scenes. They receive specialized training in using advanced measuring techniques and small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) for on-scene investigations. The CRU team includes ACTAR-accredited collision reconstructionists and technical collision investigators deployed across the state.
