‘Nightmare’ stretch of Hwy 211 takes many lives

CLACKAMAS CO., Ore. (KOIN) — A 2-car crash just north of Molalla took the lives of 3 people over the weekend, and it happened along a stretch of Highway 211 that many consider extremely dangerous.

People who travel along Highway 211 between Sandy and Woodburn say it can get dicey — and not just for drivers, but bicyclists and pedestrians, too.

Stevie Rae Urwin tells KOIN 6 News she was crossing Highway 211 just south of Sandy when she was hit by a pickup truck.

Five years later, she says she’s still recovering.

“I’ve got the dent in my head here,” Stevie Rae said. “Like a divot.”

Stevie’s father, John Urwin, said she spent 2 weeks in a coma, leaving her family wondering if she’d ever be the same.

John said the stretch of Highway 211 where his daughter was hit has always been dangerous. He said hearing about the most recent crash hurt him all over again.

“It was tragic,” John said. “Every time somebody gets hit on that road now, it’s one of those things where you really feel for the family.”

Stevie Rae said she was already wary of the road before she was hit. Her incident was the 4th in just 3 months, including separate crashes that left 2 bicyclists dead.

“The corners are dangerous, the road isn’t wide enough,” John said.

In July 2014, a 36-year-old Beaverton woman died while crossing Highway 211 on foot. Just a few months later, a young woman died and 2 others, including a 3-year-old, were hospitalized after a head-on crash on the highway. In September 2015, another young woman was killed and a toddler seriously injured on Highway 211.

Most recently, on September 23, a crash between a sedan and a semi killed 1 person.

KOIN 6 News is waiting to hear from the Oregon Department of Transportation with the number of fatal traffic collisions on Highway 211 over the last 5 years.