Hermiston, OR : 80-year-old Hermiston man struck and killed by a commercial garbage truck crash on Friday October 16 2015

The East Oregonian reports an 80-year-old Hermiston man was struck and killed by a commercial garbage truck Friday morning.Hermiston police chief Jason Edmiston said officers responded to the 400 block of Southwest 11th Street to a report of a pedestrian being struck by a vehicle at 6:38 a.m. Officers found Leonardo L. Leal dead at the scene, he said.
The initial investigation indicated Leal was attempting to cross Highway 207, or Southwest 11th Street, in the middle of the block while wearing dark-colored clothing, Edmiston said. He was struck by a Hermiston Sanitary Disposal vehicle operated by a 32-year-old male employee from Hermiston, he said.
Based on preliminary information, speed is not believed to have been a contributing factor, nor were there any signs the driver was under the influence, Edmiston said, adding the driver and company were forthcoming and cooperative. The driver called 911 and reported the crash.Edmiston said the department will be submitting evidence to the crime lab for analysis, and a full report will be sent to the Umatilla County District Attorney’s Office for review.
It’s a very sad day for the Leal family,” Edmiston said. “This investigation will remain open until we receive lab reports back, which could be several weeks.”
Oregon State Police officers assisted with reconstructing the crash scene. The Oregon Department of Transportation assisted with traffic control while 11th Street was closed from Orchard Avenue and Highland Avenue until 10:40 a.m.
Edmiston encouraged people who took photos and video of the crash scene not to distribute the images out of respect for the grieving family.
Upon arrival, our officers dealt with more than one person using cellphones to videotape the scene,” he said. “We would ask those people to show some empathy to the family and not post any video of the scene on social media, especially any video prior to our arrival or the arrival of Hermiston Fire & Emergency Services.”



Source:
Elderly Hermiston man killed in collision with garbage truck