Albany (OR.) Democrat-Herald,
Wednesday, January 8, 1997
by Marilyn Montgomery

photo Mark Ylen

accident

A Benton County sheriff's deputy takes notes at the accident scene just east of Independence Highway. The driver of the Volkswagen died in the crash.

Albany man, 19, dies in Highway 20 collision

A 19-year-old Oregon State University student from Albany died in a head-on collision on Highway 20 west of Albany Tuesday afternoon. Three other people were injured, one critically.
Mark Rich Humiston died at the scene of the 4 p.m. accident, about half a mile east of Independence Highway.
According to investigators and witnesses, Humiston was heading toward Albany in his Volkswagen Bug when it crossed the center line and collided with a Ford Taurus that was going toward Corvallis. Witness Deb Vantusco said the impact sent the Volkswagen into the air and spun it around to face the opposite direction.
The Taurus driver, Timothy Scott Kelly, 43, of Tacoma, Wash., was behind an airbag and sustained minor injuries. He was treated and released later at Albany General Hospital.
Passengers George Hoover Kelly, 75, and Janet Hope Kelly, 75, both of Waldport, remained hospitalized today. Janet Kelly, who was seated behind her son, was in critical condition this morning with chest injuries. George Kelly, in the front passenger seat of the Taurus, was in fair condition, also with chest injuries.
Benton County Sheriff's Sgt. Laurie Godfrey said investigators have no idea why the collision occurred. Witnesses following Humiston said he had been driving at a reasonable speed for the time of day and the area, and Kelly had his cruise control set at 55 miles per hour.
"There's nothing that suggests why this happened," Godfrey said this morning. "It was very surprising and very sudden."
Humiston was the son of Karl and Bonnie Humiston of Albany. He graduated from West Albany High School in 1995 and attended classes at OSU that fall. He worked recently as a temporary employee in the production department at Hewlett-Packard and had returned to OSU Monday for the start of winter term.
He was interested in computer science, his father said this morning.
Funeral arrangements are pending at Fisher Funeral Home.
Humiston is the first person to die in a traffic accident in Benton County this year, Godfrey said. Two people died in Benton County traffic accidents last year.

Corvallis (OR.) Gazette-Times,
Wednesday, January 8, 1997
by Julie Swensen

Albany teen killed in head-on collision

ALBANY - An Albany teen-ager died Tuesday afternoon and three others were injured after a head-on collision on U.S. Highway 20 north of Corvallis.
Mark Rich Humiston, 19, of (...), died instantly after his Volkswagen Beetle struck a car driven by Timothy Scott Kelly of Tacoma, Wash., about 4 p.m.
Waldport resident Janet Hope Kelly, who was in the back seat of Kelly's Ford Taurus, was in critical condition with chest injuries Tuesday night at Albany General Hospital.
George Hoover Kelly of Waldport, a passenger in the front seat of Kelly's car, was in fair condition and is being treated for chest injuries. The driver, whose airbag deployed, was treated for minor injuries and released.
Humiston, who was traveling alone toward Albany, crossed the center line near Hyde Park, according to Cpl. Richard Riffle of the Benton County Sheriff's Office.
Traffic was slowed for about an hour after the accident. One lane was open until the injured passengers were taken out; after that, traffic was re-opened to two lanes. Passersby helped to control traffic.
It wasn't raining at the time of the accident.
Humiston's Volkswagen was destroyed in the wreck; Kelly's vehicle was probably totaled as well, Riffle said.
All those involved in the accident were wearing seat belts.
Investigators don't know why Humiston's vehicle crossed the center line, nor have they determined whether drugs or alcohol were involved.