Vancouver man falls from bed of moving truck, dies

A Vancouver man died after he fell out of the bed of a moving pickup truck in the Hazel Dell area early Saturday morning, according to the Clark County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies and medical personnel responded to the 2400 block of Northwest 116th Street about 3 a.m. Saturday for the incident.

Luke A. Sperline, 23, was in the bed of a 1999 Ford F150 that was traveling east on Northwest 116th Street when he reportedly tried to stand up and accidentally fell out of the truck, Sgt. Fred Neiman said.

Sperline suffered significant head injuries in the fall and was treated at the scene by first responders before he was taken to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center where he later died, Neiman said.

All of the passengers, which included one person in the cab and a second person in the bed of the truck, had been consuming intoxicating beverages, Neiman said.

The driver of the truck, Kyle Steven Legato, 23, of Vancouver, did not appear to be under the influence of intoxicants nor was the vehicle driving at an excessive speed, Neiman said. Legato consented to a toxicology blood test.

The sheriff’s office continues to investigate the incident.