SALEM, Ore. — An Oregon jury has convicted a truck driver of manslaughter following a deadly crash in 2023 that claimed the lives of seven farmworkers and injured several others on Interstate 5, marking one of the state’s deadliest highway accidents.
Lincoln Smith, 54, of California, was found guilty Wednesday on seven charges of second-degree manslaughter, three charges of third-degree assault, and reckless driving. However, Smith was acquitted of charges related to driving under the influence after his defense team argued that he had been attempting to find parking due to fatigue, rather than acting recklessly.
The tragic collision occurred on May 18, 2023, near Albany, Oregon, located about 25 miles south of Salem in a prominent agricultural region. Smith’s semitruck veered off the highway and struck a passenger van, pushing it into another parked truck. The van was propelled 218 feet from the point of impact, resulting in the deaths of six farmworkers at the scene, with a seventh victim dying later in a helicopter en route to the hospital. Three other individuals were seriously injured and testified during the trial, detailing their ongoing pain from the incident.
Investigators later revealed that Smith had methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl in his system at the time of the crash, contributing to the severity of the incident. The emotional trial saw many witnesses, jurors, and family members of the victims in tears as they reflected on the tragic event.
This crash is one of the deadliest in Oregon’s history, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation, underscoring the devastating consequences of Smith’s actions.
