Portland man dead after two-vehicle crash near Barton on Dec. 27

Published 11:30 am Monday, December 30, 2024

One man is dead after a crash involving two Portland drivers on Friday, Dec. 27, near Barton on Highway 224.

According to reports from Oregon State Police, Matthew Leroy Cooper, 43, driving a Jeep Cherokee, attempted a left turn into a parking lot across the path of oncoming traffic. His Jeep was hit broadside by a Hyundai Santa Fe operated by Jianxiang Zhao, 44.

Officers responded around 5:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 27, and declared Cooper dead at the scene following the side-impact crash. He was believed by officers to have not been wearing a seatbelt.

Zhao, the other driver, was reportedly uninjured.

Traffic was impacted on Highway 224 for about four hours while law enforcement investigated. The unsafe left turn is the current suspected cause of the crash.

Clackamas County Sheriff’s deputies and ODOT assisted OSP at the scene.