A correction was made at 5:08 p.m. May 14. Philomath Fire and Rescue initially reported the seating location of the male who died as a front-seat passenger in the Subaru. However, it has been confirmed that the man who lost his life had been in the back seat.
The Benton County Sheriff’s Office released the names of the two individuals killed Saturday morning in a tragic Mother’s Day weekend crash on Highway 20 between Blodgett and Burnt Woods.
Elizabeth Lillian O’Neill, 52, of Tidewater, and Isaiah Aguilar, 23, of Umatilla, lost their lives in the head-on collision.
BCSO and Philomath Fire and Rescue reported that they were dispatched to the scene just after 11 a.m. May 11. According to information released by BCSO, the investigation indicates that Jessmyn Rae Allen, 46, of Umatilla, was at the wheel of a 2019 Subaru Crosstrek when she crossed the center line and collided with an oncoming 2020 Ford Fusion, driven by O’Neill.
Allen was trapped in the wreckage and required extrication by Philomath Fire and Rescue. She was transported via helicopter to Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center in Corvallis with life-threatening injuries. Four others were transported to the hospital via ground ambulance.
O’Neill, driver of the Fusion, and Aguilar, a back-seat passenger in the Subaru, were declared deceased at the scene. Philomath Fire and Rescue assisted with the recovery of one of the victims, which required extrication.
Highway 20 was closed for approximately four hours while investigators processed the scene.
Philomath Fire and Rescue sent an engine crew of five and an incident commander as part of the initial response and later sent three additional personnel.
In addition to extrication work, Philomath Fire and Rescue also assisted with setting up a landing zone on Highway 20 for the Life Flight helicopter.
The crash occurred in the Blodgett-Summit Rural Fire Protection District and the agency responded with three personnel. The Oregon Department of Transportation was called in to manage traffic.
BCSO, the lead agency on the crash, thanked the Philomath Police Department, Corvallis Fire Department, Philomath Fire Department, Blodgett-Summit Rural Fire, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Oregon Department of Transportation, Oregon State Police and the Corvallis Police Department for their assistance with the incident.
The crash remains under investigation by the BCSO Crash Team and requests that anyone with information to contact Deputy Daniel Ball at 541-766-6858, or daniel.ball@bentoncountyor.gov.