OSP Investigates Sam Barlow Coach in Hit-and-Run Crash

Date: October 31, 2009
Location: Oregon 99E near South Lone Elder Road, Aurora, Oregon
Names: Benjamin Story, Larry Scott Vang

The Oregonian reports that Oregon State Police have identified a Sam Barlow High School assistant football coach as a suspect in a hit-and-run crash that seriously injured Benjamin Story, 23, of Aurora, on October 31, 2009. Larry Scott Vang, 46, of Salem, had not been charged with a crime as of November 5, and the investigation is ongoing.

According to AOL Video, Story admits he was drunk while walking along 99E, but he said that doesn’t give anyone an excuse to hit him and leave him lying in the road.

Around 1 AM, police received several calls about a man walking in the middle of Oregon 99E near South Lone Elder Road, north of the Clackamas-Marion county line. When they arrived at the scene, they found Story lying on the south side of the highway, with serious but not life-threatening injuries. He was flown to Legacy Emanuel Medical Center by Life Flight helicopter and has since been released.

Police begin searching for a Toyota SUV with front-end and hood damage. Soon after, they learned that Vang had called 9-1-1 to report that he might have struck something on Oregon 99E. Vang was driving a white 2007 Toyota RAV sport utility vehicle.

Investigators confirmed to The Oregonian that Vang’s car struck Story.

Vang has been coaching football at Barlow for seven years; before that, he was varsity girls softball coach for 14  years. In his current position, he coached varsity and junior varsity running backs and special teams.
Anyone with information regarding the investigation is asked to call OSP Senior Trooper Jason Lindland at (503) 731-3020 ext. 457.

Hit-and-run is a serious crime, and conviction will result in driving privileges being suspended or revoked. In any accident, you have the following obligations:

• Stop at once. If anyone is killed or unconscious, you must stay at the scene until a police officer arrives.
• Render aid. Do not move an injured person carelessly, but give reasonable aid to the victim.
• Exchange information with the other driver. Give them your name, address, driver’s license number, license plate number, and insurance information. DMV offers a printable checklist you can download and keep in your car.
• Report the accident to DMV.

There is never an excuse to leave the scene of an accident, and it is the moral and legal responsibility of every driver to stop. We implore drivers in any accident situation to put the safety and welfare of others above their own interests, and always, always remain at the scene and make sure no one is hurt. We send our best wishes to Story for a quick and complete recovery.

Hit-and-run is a serious violation of Oregon Vehicle Code 811.705. The hit-and-run driver must be held civilly and criminally responsible for his actions. Our website is filled with what to do if you have been a victim of a hit-and-run accident. And if you can’t find the information you’re looking for there, please don’t hesitate to contact us and ask us any questions you might have.  We take a very hard line against hit-and-run drivers.

DuBois Law Group, is located in Portland, Oregon, and serves clients in all Oregon cities and counties, including: Portland, Beaverton, Multnomah County, Hillsboro, Gresham, Lake Oswego, West Linn, Tualatin, Troutdale, Sellwood, Corvallis, Salem, Eugene, and Albany.