On February 26, 1993, Reserve Sergeant Scott Collins and Reserve Deputy Mark Whitehead were on patrol in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 84, near Fairview, when their patrol car was struck head-on by a drunk driver.
Witnesses reported seeing the drunk driver, Ervin Vandervoort, weaving through traffic in the westbound lanes of Interstate 84 just prior to the crash. Vandervoort lost control of his vehicle at an estimated speed 105 mph. The vehicle went airborne, crossed over the center grass median, and sheared off the top of the patrol car. All three men were killed instantly. Vandervoort’s BAC level was three times the legal limit.
Reserve Sergeant Scott Collins, age 34, had served as a Reserve Deputy for five years. He and Reserve Deputy Mark Whitehead were the first MCSO Reserve Deputies to be killed in the line duty.
In 2014, 21 years after the death of Reserve Sergeant Collins and Reserve Deputy Whitehead, a roadside memorial was erected along the eastbound lanes of Interstate 84 near the Fairview Parkway exit. This memorial sign was the culmination of efforts made by the Sheriff’s Office, the Collins and Whitehead families, and state legislators to formally honor and recognize the selfless service of these two heroes.