A warrant has been issued for the driver believed to have been involved in a fatal it and run crash in Tillamook County.
Oregon State Police responded to a two-vehicle hit-and-run fatal crash on Highway 18 in Tillamook County near Grand Ronde at approximately 3:15 a.m. Sunday, July 12.
The preliminary investigation indicated that a white Honda Civic, operated by 34-year-old Alejandro Christopher Velazquez Lopez, of Tillamook, was traveling eastbound on Highway 18 near milepost 14.
The Honda left the travel lane and entered the eastbound shoulder, where a black Nissan Altima with a flat tire was parked. Three 17-year-old males were outside the Nissan, changing the flat tire, when the Honda left the roadway and struck all three juveniles. The Honda did not stop and continued driving eastbound on the highway, according to the OSP report.
All three male juveniles were transported to area hospitals with serious injuries. A 17-year-old female passenger was inside the Nissan at the time of the crash and was not injured.
OSP Major Crime Section detectives were immediately called to investigate and locate the operator of the Honda.
On July 14, OSP investigators were notified that one of the 17-year-old males died as a result of injuries sustained during the crash.
The operator of the Honda (Lopez) is believed to have left the country and there is an active warrant for his arrest, according to the OSP report.
The highway was impacted for approximately 11.5 hours during the on-scene investigation.