05/29/2002

By KGW and AP Staff

The driver of a heavy truck that plowed into a minivan and killed five people had been convicted twice of driving under the influence of intoxicants and was on the habitual offender list for five years, according to state DMV records reviewed by KGW.

Karl Evers, 44, was not injured in the crash on Oregon's Highway 6 near Banks last Saturday that claimed the lives of five Vietnamese immigrants and injured two more.

Car crushed by truck in Highway 6 crash. (KGW Sky 8 Photo)

In 1994, Evers' driver's license was revoked for five years, when he was classified as a habitual offender, said David House, spokesman for Oregon Driver and Motor Vehicle Services. He received approval to drive for work in 1995 before his full driving privileges were reinstated Feb. 16, 1999.

"His criminal history is 11 or 12 years ago," Oregon State Police spokesman Lt. Dale Rutledge said.

Rutledge said police took a blood sample from Evers after the accident to determine whether he had drugs or alcohol in his system. State law requires police to take a blood sample from any driver involved in a fatal wreck. Testing of blood samples usually takes about a week.

Evers worked for Lewis Farms Inc. near Forest Grove hauling agricultural waste.

James Lewis, president of Lewis Farms, did not immediately return phone calls.

Police said Evers was driving his double-trailer rig shortly before noon Saturday when it crossed the middle line of Highway 6 in rural Washington County and slammed head-on into a minivan driven by Trieu Do, co-owner of the Misohapi restaurant in Portland.

Killed were Do, 38; Quynh Truong, age not available; De Nguyen, 71; and Luc Nguyen, 72; all of Portland. Truong's husband, Hue Le, 26, died Monday.

Do's wife, Thao Nguyen, 30, and Truong's 10-week-old daughter, Tresha Le, were recovering from injuries at Portland hospitals.

Evers had a Class A farm endorsement on his commercial driver's license that allowed him to drive big trucks on trips less than 150 miles from a farm.

Commercial driver's licenses, those needed by long-haul and log truck drivers, require written and driving tests but there is no standard for previous driving records. Federal rules also require employers to test drivers for drug use.

John S. Sallak, director of safety and training for the Oregon Trucking Associations, said someone with drunken driving convictions would have a hard time finding driving work outside farming.

"Someone with that type of record would not be hired by the 600 companies we represent in Oregon," he said. "I'm not sure an insurance carrier would let them be hired."

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)