UMATILLA COUNTY — A Washington truck driver died Thursday night, Sept. 28, on Interstate-84 east of Pendleton in Umatilla County.

Oregon State Police reported troopers at approximately 8 p.m. responded to a crash involving two semitrailers in the eastbound lanes of the freeway near milepost 226 in Umatilla County.

The preliminary investigation indicated Ruslan Basarab, 49, of Renton, Washington, was heading east in the slow lane when his vehicle struck the rear-end of a Peterbilt that Francisco Rivera Atilano Jr., 20, of Hermiston, was driving, according to state police.

Basarab’s semitrailer caught fire as a result of the collision, OSP reported, and burned so badly it was unidentifiable. The operator was removed from the vehicle and later declared dead after being transported to an area hospital.

Atilano was not injured.

The crash affected traffic on the highway for approximately six hours during the on-scene investigation.

Umatilla Tribal Police Department, Umatilla Tribal Fire Department and the Oregon Department of Transpiration assisted state police.