Editor’s note: This report is based on information submitted by the Oregon State Police. All crashes with fatalities may not be included. The status of incidents might change after further investigation.
THURSDAY, DEC. 19
• 6:04 p.m. — Troopers responded to a three-vehicle crash on Highway 30 about 5 miles west of Oklahoma Hill in Clatsop County that took the life of August Aleksander Crawford, 26, of Clatskanie. OSP’s preliminary investigation indicated that Crawford was driving east on Highway 30 in a Mazda 3 and attempted to pass a semi-truck driven by a 42-year-old Astoria man, in a no-passing zone. The Mazda encountered a westbound fuel tanker and trailer, driven by a 32-year-old Vancouver, Washington, man and attempted to re-enter the eastbound lane. The Mazda sideswiped the semi, lost control and struck the tanker truck head on. Crawford was transported to a hospital and later declared deceased. The drivers of the semi-truck and tanker truck declined medical attention. The primary cause of the crash was considered to be unsafe passing.
FRIDAY, DEC. 20
• 4:12 a.m. — Troopers responded to a vehicle-pedestrian crash on Highway 97 about 7 miles northeast of Bend that took the life of Glenn Curtis Watkins, 28, of Bend. OSP’s preliminary investigation indicated that a 54-year-old Bend man was driving north on Highway 97 and struck Watkins, who was on the roadway for unknown reasons. Watkins was declared deceased at the scene. The Ford’s driver was not injured. The cause of the crash was under investigation.
SATURDAY, DEC. 21
• 4 a.m. — Troopers responded to a single-vehicle crash on Interstate 5 about 2 miles north of Canyonville that took the life of Rongfang Yang, 69, of Redmond, Washington. OSP’s preliminary investigation indicated that a 38-year-old Redmond resident was driving south on I-5 and fell asleep at the wheel and struck a guardrail. Yang, a passenger, was transported to a hospital and was later declared deceased. The driver and three other passengers, ages 42, 22 and 9, all of Redmond, Washington, were transported to the hospital reportedly with minor injuries.
• 11:35 a.m. — Troopers responded to a two-vehicle crash on Interstate 84 in the vicinity of Rooster Rock State Park east of Portland that took the life of John Erik Andersson, 59, of Portland. OSP’s preliminary investigation indicated that Andersson was driving a Subaru Forester east in I-84’s westbound lanes when he struck head-on a Toyota Rav4 driven by a 24-year-old Mulino man. Andersson was declared deceased at the scene. The Toyota’s driver and a passenger, a 25-year-old Mulino woman, reportedly suffered minor injuries and were transported to a hospital for evaluation.
SUNDAY, DEC. 22
• 12:04 a.m. — Troopers responded to a single-vehicle crash on Century Drive NE at the intersection with Murder Creek Drive NE near Albany that took the lives of Kyle Gene Lucas, 41, of Albany, and Justin Shaun Bottcher, 36, of Albany. OSP’s preliminary investigation indicated that Lucas was driving north in a Toyota 4Runner and left the roadway for unknown reasons, which caused the vehicle to roll while ejecting three of the four occupants. Lucas and Bottcher were declared deceased at the scene. Two passengers, a 41-year-old Philomath woman and a 40-year-old Albany man were transported to a hospital with injuries. The investigation determined speed to be the primary cause of the crash.
• 7:52 a.m. — Troopers responded to a two-vehicle crash on Highway 97 about 14 miles north of Chiloquin that took the lives of Trevor Christian McNally, 21, of Klamath Falls; a 13-year-old Klamath Falls girl; a 13-year-old Klamath Falls boy; and a 15-year-old girl from Germany. OSP’s preliminary investigation indicated McNally was driving a Toyota 4Runner north on Highway 97, lost control, entered the southbound lane and struck a semi-truck operated by a 30-year-old Yuba City, California, resident. McNally and the three juveniles were all declared deceased at the scene. A fourth passenger in the Toyota, a 19-year-old Klamath Falls man, the truck driver and a passenger in the semi, a 26-year-old Yuba City resident, were transported to a hospital with injuries. Road conditions were considered to be a primary factor in the collision.
MONDAY, DEC. 23
• 3:02 p.m. — Troopers responded to a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of Highway 20 and Highway 22 near Santiam Junction in Linn County that took the life of a 15-year-old Willamina girl. OSP’s preliminary investigation indicated that a 28-year-old Springfield man was driving west on Highway 20 in a Toyota Highlander and attempted to turn left onto Highway 22 but entered into the path of an eastbound Hyundai Accent driven by a 35-year-old Willamina woman and crashed head-on. The teen girl, a passenger in the Hyundai, was transported by air ambulance to a hospital and later declared deceased. The Hyundai’s driver was also transported via air ambulance to the hospital. Two other passengers in the Hyundai, a 17-year-old boy and a 15-year-old boy — both of Willamina — were transported to the hospital with serious injuries via ground ambulance. The Toyota’s driver and two passengers, a 32-year-old woman and 28-year-old woman, both of Springfield, reportedly suffered minor injuries and were transported via ground ambulance to the hospital. A third passenger in the Toyota, a 51-year-old Springfield woman, reportedly suffered serious injuries and was transported via ground ambulance to the hospital. The primary cause of the crash was considered to be an unsafe left turn.
TUESDAY, DEC. 24
• 1:30 a.m. — Troopers responded to a two-vehicle crash on Interstate 5 about 1 mile north of Albany that took the lives of Cassie Maree Martinez, 35, of Salem; and Linling Wang, 34, city of residence not reported. OSP’s preliminary investigation indicated that Martinez was driving south on I-5 at high speeds in the northbound lanes when she struck head-on a Mercedes Sprinter Van driven by a 37-year-old Alhambra, California, resident. Both vehicles caught fire from the collision. Martinez was declared deceased at the scene. Wang, a passenger in the Mercedes, was declared deceased at the scene. The driver of the Mercedes and a second passenger in the vehicle, a 44-year-old Oakland, California, resident, reportedly suffered minor injuries and were transported to a hospital.
THURSDAY, DEC. 26
• 4:58 a.m. — Troopers responded to a two-vehicle crash on Highway 20 in rural Lake County about 40 miles east of Bend that took the life of Christopher Allen Stevens, 30, of Redmond. OSP’s preliminary investigation indicated that Stevens was driving east in a Toyota Avalon when for unknown reasons, he crossed the center line and struck a Dodge Ram 3500 pulling a trailer that was driven by a 42-year-old Aurora, Colorado, man. Stevens was declared deceased at the scene. The Dodge’s driver was reportedly not injured. Road conditions were considered to be a primary factor in the collision.