LAGRANDE, Oregon -- Oregon State Police is searching for any sign of a young eastern Oregon trucker who disappeared after apparently turning off his planned route earlier this week.
Jacob Cartwright, 22, was headed from Portland to Nyssa, Oregon when he went missing Tuesday.
Roy Henry, Cartwright's boss and the owner of Little Trees Transportation, said GPS monitoring on the truck showed Cartwright stopped at a truck stop in Troutdale Tuesday afternoon, departing at 4:55 p.m.
He was due in La Grande to refuel at about 8:45 p.m., his employer said, but never arrived. When Henry checked the GPS again, he saw that Cartwright had left Interstate 84, turning south onto Highway 395 at Pendleton.
"The fact that he turned off in Pendleton is odd, if not alarming. It doesn't make any sense to me," Henry said.
Henry said the GPS automatically directs drivers to take the fastest route; in this case, staying on the interstate all the way to La Grande. In addition, he said, Highway 395 is a length-restricted road, meaning the truck and trailer was not supposed to be on it at all.
Worried, he tried to call Cartwright to tell him to turn around, but the 22-year-old was already out of cell service. Henry left messages, reckoning Cartwright would realize his mistake or call him back when he emerged into cell service around Ukiah, Oregon.
It never happened.
At 10 p.m. Tuesday night, the GPS updated, showing a location on Highway 244 near milepost 33, a remote area near the unincorporated community of Starkey. Cartwright's phone showed the same spot.
But when Oregon State Police drove out to the area, there was no sign of Cartwright or the semi truck.
LaGrande trucker Jacob Cartwright missing
Sgt. Jason Stone said Cartwright is now considered a missing person. OSP sent up fixed-wing planes to search Thursday morning: If the truck went off the road and is hidden down a hill or among trees, it will be easier to spot from the air, Stone said.
But he warned that GPS tracking in remote areas is not an exact science: Depending on the nearest cell tower, Cartwright and the truck could be miles away from where the signal is indicating.
Troopers' checks of area rest stops, truck stops, and other roads have all come up empty.
Other locals - including Henry himself - have joined in the search as well, driving any route Cartwright could have taken.
"The community support we've gotten is nothing short of overwhelming," Henry said.
In an update from OSP, officials said GPS information for the truck showed it in the area of Highway 244 near MacIntyre Road around noon Thursday. The area is just west of Hilgard State Park.
The area has been searched by air, and the ground search continues. OSP said the area is very remote and expansive, and is heavily wooded with rough terrain.
Although the missing trucker had worked for Little Trees Transportation for only a matter of weeks, Henry said Cartwright had proven himself an "outstanding" employee - always on time, eager to work - as well as a devoted family man. He and his wife have a four-year-old, a two-year-old, and a baby boy on the way, due any time, Henry said.
More time at home with his family is what had enticed Cartwright to work for Henry's business, he said. The 22-year-old had grown weary of spending months on the road with another company; because Little Trees Transportation primarily runs shorter routes around the Pacific Northwest, the truckers often spend their weekends at home, Henry said.
"That was the reason he wanted to come to work for me," Henry recalled. "He said, 'I have kids at home, man. I want to be home with my kids.'"
Cartwright is described as 6'6" and 275 pounds, with brown hair.
He was driving a green 2005 Kenworth T600, with Oregon plates YAIN633. The truck has the Little Trees Transportation name on it, and it's pulling a white trailer.
Henry said he isn't concerned about his truck or trailer - he just wants Cartwright home safe.
"I have insurance for the load," he said. "No amount of insurance is going to replace him."
Anyone with information is urged to call the Union County Sheriff’s Office at 541-963-107 or Oregon State Police at *OSP.
