Jury selection began Monday in the trial of Lincoln Smith, a California truck driver accused of manslaughter in the deaths of seven Oregon farmworkers whose van was parked along Interstate 5 near Albany on May 18, 2023.
Smith, now 54, has remained behind bars at the Marion County jail since the crash on charges of driving under the influence and seven counts of second-degree manslaughter.
A judge ruled last February that jurors could see evidence that cocaine, fentanyl, morphine and meth were found in Smith’s blood. Prosecutors say Smith admitted to carrying a vial of “speed” on him.
While Smith’s defense remains unclear, court papers written by his attorneys have claimed that the trucker was disoriented from the shocking crash, rather than a chemical cocktail.
“This was one of the worst car accidents, perhaps ever, in Marion County,” wrote defense attorney Tiffany Humphrey. “The scene was so traumatic that another trooper told Smith to look away.”
But prosecutor David Wilson says body-camera footage shows Smith with dilated pupils, adding that the trucker couldn’t remember his own phone number or destination that day.
The trial is scheduled for six days.
Two Eugene protesters found not guilty in pro-Palestine blockade of I-5
Two protesters accused of illegally blocking Interstate 5 on April 15 as part of a pro-Palestinian protest have prevailed at trial.
Six jurors acquitted Salem Younes, 19, and 27-year-old Kristin Anton of second-degree disorderly conduct during a joint trial last week before Lane County Circuit Judge Karrie McIntyre.
Deliberations took less than an hour.
“We showed the state and the imperial core that we are stronger than their attempts to repress us,” Younes, who is Palestinian American, said in a statement.
The early-morning blockade snarled traffic for some 30 miles until police descended and arrested roughly 50 people.
A dozen other protesters have taken their cases to trial since last October; all had been convicted and sentenced to 1½ years of probation until now. An additional 35 people entered into diversion and had their charges dismissed after completing 40 hours of community service, records show.
Tow truck hijacker Eric Strietzel found guilty on most counts
A Multnomah County jury has convicted Eric C. Strietzel for the hair-raising hijacking of a Retriever Towing truck on July 10, 2023.
Dash cam videos captured Strietzel, 38, driving the tow truck up to 85 mph on Interstate 5 in Portland as 42-year-old towing employee Travis Christ hung on to the truck for dear life.
A defense attorney’s gambit — asking a jury to acquit on the most serious charges, due to Strietzel’s intoxication and mental impairment — was a partial success, as Strietzel was found not guilty of first-degree robbery and second-degree kidnapping.
But the jury returned a guilty verdict on a dozen other counts, including second-degree assault, setting up a minimum punishment of roughly four to five years, given his prior record.
Strietzel pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a girl younger than 14 in Sherwood in 2002, and was sentenced to just under six years in prison, records show.
In other news
A Multnomah County judge last week dismissed the second-degree trespassing case against Alissa Azar, an independent journalist who aligns with antifascism, after her attorney, Lisa Ludwig, said the state didn’t turn over all of its evidence until the last minute.
Prosecutor Bijal Patel, meanwhile, says she needed a delay in order to bring a witness to court.
Circuit Judge Christopher Marshall sided with defense, but didn’t prevent the state from refiling charges later.
“I’m glad it’s behind me,” Azar said, “but it’s something that never should have happened in the first place.”
The case stemmed from the short-lived occupation of Portland State University’s Millar Library by pro-Palestinian protesters last spring.
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