Oregon State Patrol officials say bad weather, excessive rain, slick roads, and driving too fast for conditions are largely to blame for four accidents that killed 5 people in a span of 12 hours between Saturday night and Sunday morning.  It's one of the deadliest periods in Oregon's history.

From Saturday evening through 5am Sunday, five people died on Western Oregon highways, and a Pasco truck driver was one of several others who were injured.

Three accidents on Highways 18 and 22 killed four people, and 33-year-old Richard C. Arceo was injured early Sunday morning. He was driving a semi on Oregon Highway 42 not far from Interstate 5, the on and off ramp, when his truck was struck by a Ford Explorer that had become airborne.

The driver of the Explorer had taken the offramp onto Highway 42 too fast, lost control, and the vehicle rolled over the embankment, got airborne, and struck the front of Arceo's truck around 4:15am.  From the picture you can see where the Ford hit the hood and windshield of the truck!

Arceo was taken to a nearby hospital with minor injuries, but the Ford driver was dead at the scene. Oregon State Patrol officials say very slick rainy roads and speed led to the accidents.

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