State v. Lewis

This case requires us to examine the legal standard for the mental state of criminal negligence and to assess, when tested by that standard, whether the record in this case is sufficient to support defendant’s conviction of criminally negligent homicide. Defendant, while driving a tractor-trailer truck, collided with the victim’s catering truck from the rear. The collision pushed the victim’s truck into the oncoming lane of traffic, where it was struck by a logging truck. The victim died at the scene. The state charged defendant with criminally negligent homicide. ORS 163.145(1). 1 Before…