Tillamook County, OR : Portland woman charged with causing deadly crash on Highway 6 in Tillamook County on Sunday, July 27, 2014

Oregon State Police arrested a Portland woman in connection with a head-on crash that killed one person Sunday on Highway 6 in Tillamook County.

Troopers said Trisha Homan was trying to pass a Chrysler Sebring in a no-passing zone about two miles east of Lees Camp. According to a witness, Homan and the Chrysler's driver had been driving aggressively before then.

In order to avoid crashing with a car headed in the opposite direction while passing, Homan swerved back into the lane, forcing the Chrysler off the road, the witness told troopers. The Chrysler's driver lost control of the car and ended up in the opposite lane where it crashed head-on with a Jeep Wrangler. Homan drove away from the scene without stopping.

"Something about this just doesn't seem right," said Homan's neighbor Rebecca Porter. "For her to just drive off, it doesn't make sense. Especially knowing that she works at a hospital and how much she cares about our neighborhood."

The Chrysler's driver was pronounced dead at the scene. He was identified Monday afternoon as Russel Falotico.

No one from Falotico's family home was available for comment, but friends tell FOX 12 he was a good neighbor, a great husband and an even better father.

"I'm so glad they caught the driver, she was probably terrified and wanted to get away, but that's not the way you do it," said Falotico's neighbor Joan Statt. "Hopefully Russ didn't suffer, that dear, dear man. It's just so hard to believe, I feel for his children, it's so sad."

Falotico was the CFO of PLUS Corporation of America in Beaverton. His co-workers sent FOX 12 this statement about the crash:

"All of us are saddened by this loss. Russ was our CFO and a longtime employee since 1999. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and his kids," said Tim Pelroy, the company's Director of Sales and Marketing.

The driver and passenger in the Jeep were both taken to the hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries.

OSP troopers took down a description of Homan's Hyundai Santa Fe, and Beaverton police pulled her over on Highway 26 near Cedar Hills Boulevard about an hour after the crash and took her into custody.

She faces charges of criminally negligent homicide and reckless driving, among others. She posted bail and is expected in court at a later date.

Source :
Portland woman charged with causing deadly crash on Highway 6