Driver dies after striking utility pole and igniting vehicle fire in Springfield
Springfield Police and Eugene Springfield Fire responded to the 3600 block of Franklin Blvd. for a report of a single motor vehicle crash. The vehicle was determined to be a 2004 Lexus RX 330. (SBG)
SPRINGFIELD, Ore. — A person who crashed into a utility pole and ignited a fire died on Saturday in Springfield on Saturday.
Springfield Police and Eugene Springfield Fire responded to the 3600 block of Franklin Blvd. for a report of a single motor vehicle crash. The vehicle was determined to be a 2004 Lexus RX 330.
The driver had been traveling westbound on Franklin Blvd. when the vehicle lost control and struck a utility pole on the north side of the road. The utility pole fell to the ground along with high voltage lines.
Other motorists stopped to assist the driver of the Lexus and pulled him from the vehicle as it caught fire. The vehicle was quickly engulfed in flames and the scene was further complicated by downed power lines. Despite efforts at resuscitation, David Anthony Chavez succumbed to injuries he sustained in the crash and died at the scene. Nobody else was injured.
All lanes of Franklin Blvd. were diverted for more than five hours following the collision while investigators collected evidence and processed the scene. Speed appears to have been a contributing factor to the crash.
