TOLEDO – A 34-year-old Toledo man was struck and killed by a car about 11:35 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 26 as he walkws along U.S. Highway 20 four miles east of Toledo.
Oregon State Police said Friday that their preliminary investigation indicated a car driven by Orion D. Sliwka, 19, of Salem, was traveling west on Highway 20 when it struck what Sliwka initially believed to be a deer. He continued on and eventually stopped at a business in Newport, police said.
While at the business, a person spoke with Sliwka and his passenger and learned they may have struck a person. The person called 911 to report the incident, police said.
Toledo police officers later located a pedestrian in a ditch near milepost 10 of Highway 20 and identified him as Cordaro R. Stock of Toledo.
Sliwka cooperated with police. The highway was impacted for six hours during the on-scene investigation.
I am very sorry this happened. I wish no one walked along Hwy 20 it is so dangerous with little space on the shoulders for walking/biking. Driving to Toledo the other day I saw someone dressed all in black walking the highway which made it more difficult to notice him … he was so close to the road. I don’t know what can be done but every driver should always be aware with all the homeless camps people are always going to be walking/biking along Highway 20 between Newport and Toledo.
People might not have a choice if they don’t drive. Bicycling is not much safer. There needs to be a wider path along the side of the highway, maybe on the other side of the ditch, so that people who don’t or can’t drive can walk safely to and from home.
In a perfect world