New York Man Dies in I-84 Rollover Crash Near Durkee

David Patrick Carson, 60, of Naples, New York, was pronounced dead at the scene Wednesday evening after his black Chevrolet Suburban left eastbound Interstate 84 near milepost 325 and rolled multiple times across a field roughly 80 yards south of the highway, in a remote stretch of Baker County near Durkee.

The crash was reported at approximately 5:28 p.m. on March 25. Emergency crews found the Suburban well off the pavement in the adjacent field. No other vehicles were involved, and I-84 remained open throughout the on-scene investigation.

Oregon State Police are leading the crash reconstruction. The Baker City Fire Department and the Oregon Department of Transportation assisted at the scene. As of this week, investigators had not identified a definitive cause for why the Suburban departed the roadway. The reconstruction remains active.

OSP's review will examine factors common to fatal single-vehicle rollovers: vehicle speed, mechanical condition, driver impairment, the possibility of a medical event, and prevailing roadway conditions at the time of the crash. Toxicology and mechanical examination results typically take several weeks and will shape any follow-up findings the agency releases.

Milepost 325 lies along one of the most exposed and sparsely populated segments of the I-84 corridor in eastern Oregon. The highway is Baker County's primary east-west artery, carrying freight, commercial traffic, and travelers moving between Portland and Boise. Fatal crashes along this portion of the route underscore how distance from advanced trauma care can affect outcomes on rural interstates.

For drivers navigating the Baker County stretch of I-84, single-vehicle rollovers are among the most lethal crash types on the corridor. Investigators routinely consider driver fatigue, abrupt steering corrections, tire failure, and high-desert wind gusts as contributing factors in eastern Oregon rollover crashes. Seatbelt use is a critical determinant of survivability: unbelted occupants are dramatically more likely to be ejected during a rollover, which is typically fatal at highway speeds.

Anyone who witnessed the crash or has dashcam footage from near milepost 325 on the evening of March 25 is encouraged to contact the Oregon State Police.