Reporter for The Canyon Weekly
Authorities haven’t been unable to find the cause of a tanker crash that killed a Lebanon man in May.
Linn County Sheriff Michelle Duncan said they feel confident the driver of the truck, Steven Froemke, 63, was not intoxicated, but the cause of the crash remains unknown.
Froemke died May 23 after the 2000 Kenworth oil tanker he was driving failed to negotiate a curve and struck a tree while eastbound on Lyons-Mill City Drive, east of Lyons. Fuel in the tanker spilled into the ground and caught fire, prompting a response from fire and HAZ-MAT crews.
Froemke died at the scene and initial reports from Duncan’s office said he was likely not intoxicated at the time of the crash. This was based on evidence including witness statements describing Fromke’s behavior earlier in the day.
