Tuesday around 8:40 p.m., a crash in a Northeast Oregon construction zone killed a worker.
The crash happened on SR 11 near Athena, northeast of Pendleton.
The crash occurred in an active construction zone where a repaving project was occurring.
Preliminary information shows a construction zone flagger, 49-yar-old Tyresa Monaghan, of Kennewick, Washington, had a vehicle stopped when a silver 2005 Chrysler minivan, operated by 76-year-old Leman Bledsoe, of Milton-Freewater, side swiped the stopped vehicle and struck Monaghan.
Monaghan was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Bledsoe continued for approximately one mile in the construction zone, endangering numerous other workers, before stopping.
Bledsoe was transported to St. Anthony Hospital in Pendleton by ambulance. He was treated and released from the hospital and taken into custody. Bledsoe was lodged at the Umatilla County Jail for Manslaughter, DUII, Reckless Endanger Another Person x 2, Reckless Driving, Fail to perform the duties of a driver (injured person), Reckless Endanger a Highway Worker and additional charges are pending. He’s being held on $790,000 bond.