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OSP continues fatal crash investigation
Tuesday, January 06, 2009 | No comments posted.
Oregon State Police continue to investigate Saturday’s four-vehicle crash on state Highway 38 that killed one driver and sent six others to the hospital.
According to Lt. Gregg Hastings, officials still haven’t conclusively determined the identity of the driver who died after a vehicle caught fire following the crash near Scottsburg. They also haven’t determined what caused the accident, he said.
Local residents have said the unidentified driver was Heidi Johnson, a 2006 North Bend High graduate.
The crash happened around 2:45 p.m., near milepost 20, when a westbound Toyota Sequoia driven by John Flaxel of Coos Bay was approaching three eastbound vehicles. The 72-year-old’s SUV crossed the centerline and sideswiped one vehicle, then collided head-on with a second vehicle, causing it to land off the highway where it caught fire. A fourth vehicle steered to the right to avoid the Toyota, ending up in a ditch.
Several motorists were taken to Lower Umpqua Hospital for treatment, while Coos Bay’s John Flaxel and Joy Flaxel, the driver and passenger in the Toyota, were taken to Sacred Heart Medical Center in Eugene. Hospital spokeswomen said all patients have been discharged.
According to Lt. Gregg Hastings, officials still haven’t conclusively determined the identity of the driver who died after a vehicle caught fire following the crash near Scottsburg. They also haven’t determined what caused the accident, he said.
Local residents have said the unidentified driver was Heidi Johnson, a 2006 North Bend High graduate.
The crash happened around 2:45 p.m., near milepost 20, when a westbound Toyota Sequoia driven by John Flaxel of Coos Bay was approaching three eastbound vehicles. The 72-year-old’s SUV crossed the centerline and sideswiped one vehicle, then collided head-on with a second vehicle, causing it to land off the highway where it caught fire. A fourth vehicle steered to the right to avoid the Toyota, ending up in a ditch.
Several motorists were taken to Lower Umpqua Hospital for treatment, while Coos Bay’s John Flaxel and Joy Flaxel, the driver and passenger in the Toyota, were taken to Sacred Heart Medical Center in Eugene. Hospital spokeswomen said all patients have been discharged.
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