EUGENE, Ore. — Oregon State Police say the driver is to blame in the crash of a tanker truck that was moving juvenile salmon from a failing hatchery to safer waters.
The driver, 45-year-old Ray C. Lewis of Umpqua, was cited Wednesday on drunken driving and reckless driving charges.
The crash on Dec. 30 on the side of the McKenzie Highway near Walterville spilled and killed 11,000 Chinook salmon smolts.
The Oregon Fish and Wildlife truck was hauling the final load out of 227,000 salmon that were moved to the Row River because of low water at the McKenzie Hatchery due to problems at the Leaburg Dam.
Lewis was treated at a hospital for head cuts and other injuries.
