Elijah A. Copeland Obituary, Death – On the evening of Thursday, July 31, a fatal crash involving a pedestrian occurred in Linn County, Oregon. The incident happened shortly before 9 p.m. along Highway 228 near milepost 2 and involved a single vehicle.
According to the Oregon State Police, a white Dodge Ram pickup truck pulling a utility trailer was traveling westbound on Highway 228 at the time of the incident. The vehicle was being driven by 39-year-old Justin Cane Clark of Junction City.
As the truck proceeded west, the attached trailer struck a pedestrian who had entered the roadway. The pedestrian was later identified as 46-year-old Elijah A. Copeland of Eugene. Investigators reported that Copeland had exited a red Toyota Tacoma and, for reasons that remain unclear, walked into the westbound lane of traffic where the collision occurred.
Emergency responders arrived quickly, but Copeland was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities have not released further details about why Copeland left his vehicle or entered the roadway.
The highway was closed for about two and a half hours to allow investigators to examine the scene and gather evidence. Multiple agencies assisted in the response and investigation, including the Linn County Sheriff’s Office, the Halsey Fire Department, and the Oregon Department of Transportation.
The incident remains under investigation by Oregon State Police as they continue to determine the circumstances surrounding the crash.
