Huntington Man John Whitmire, 77, Dies After Pickup Strikes Tree

John Marvin Whitmire, 77, died Tuesday afternoon after the pickup he was driving struck a tree on the west side of Huntington, the Baker County Sheriff's Office reported. The March 10 crash was a single-vehicle incident, according to the sheriff's office.

Few details have been released about the circumstances leading up to the collision. The Baker County Sheriff's Office is the reporting agency, and a sergeant whose name was partially identified in early reports as Sgt. Craig R. was referenced in connection with the case. The full name and any statement from that officer were not immediately available.

No information has been released about the make or model of Whitmire's pickup, whether he was wearing a seatbelt, or what factors may have contributed to the crash. The sheriff's office has not publicly indicated whether speed, weather, or a medical event played a role.

Whitmire's death marks the second fatal single-vehicle crash in the Huntington area in recent months. In January, 39-year-old Daniel James Racette died after his 1997 Dodge Ram 1500 failed to navigate a switchback curve on Snake River Road just east of town, rolled multiple times, and ejected him from the vehicle. Baker County Sheriff's Office public information officer Ashley McClay said speed was most likely a contributing factor in that crash.

The Baker County Sheriff's Office has not released additional information about the Whitmire case, including whether an active investigation is ongoing or whether the county coroner has issued findings.