Hwy. 101 Fatal, Lincoln Co.
On Thursday, September 7, 2023, at approximately 2:15 P.M., the Oregon State Police responded to a vehicle versus motorcycle crash on Hwy-101, near milepost 155, in Lincoln County. The preliminary investigation indicated a Dodge Ram 1500, operated by James Semrau (62) of Eugene, was turning left onto Hwy-101 from N Bayview Rd. A Kawasaki EX motorcycle, operated by Alex Gomez (27) of Toledo, was northbound on Hwy-101 going through the intersection with Bayview Rd, when the Dodge crossed the northbound lane of travel. The Kawasaki struck the Dodge and caught fire as a result of the crash. An Oregon State Trooper arrived on scene moments after the crash and extinguished the fire. The operator of the Kawasaki (Gomez) was pronounced deceased by medical personnel on scene. The operator of the Dodge (Semrau) was transported to a local hospital with minor injuries. The highway was impacted for approximately 3 hours during the on scene investigation. The cause of the crash is under investigation. OSP was assisted by Lincoln County Sheriff, Seal Rock Fire, Central Coast Fire, and ODOT.
Hwy. 62 Fatal, Jackson Co.
On Wednesday, September 6, 2023, at approximately 11:20 P.M., the Oregon State Police responded to a vehicle versus pedestrian crash on Hwy-62, near milepost 7, in Jackson County. The preliminary investigation indicated a Dodge Ram 1500, operated by Ronald Miller (63) of Eagle Point, was eastbound when it struck a pedestrian, Joshua Branca (48) of Manhattan Beach (CA), who entered the eastbound lane of travel. The pedestrian (Branca) was pronounced deceased by medical personnel on scene. The operator of the Dodge Ram 1500 (Miller) was not injured. The highway was impacted for approximately 3 hours during the on scene investigation. The cause of the crash is under investigation. OSP was assisted by Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Eagle Point PD, Fire District 3, and ODOT.
Hwy. 11 Fatal, Umatilla Co.
On Friday, September 8, 2023, at approximately 5:04 P.M., the Oregon State Police responded to a multi-vehicle crash on Hwy-11, near Hwy-332, in Umatilla County. The preliminary investigation indicated a Chevrolet Spark, operated by Prithvi Singh (30) of Milton-Freewater, exited the parking lot of a convenience store and turned northbound into the continuous left turn lane. The Chevrolet continued and entered into the northbound lane, where it was struck from behind by an Acura MDX, operated by Vicki Pearce (62) of Walla Walla (WA). The Chevy Spark traveled uncontrolled into the southbound lanes, where it struck a Jeep Grand Cherokee, operated by Mary Cowling (38) of Milton-Freewater. The operator (Singh) of the Chevy Spark was pronounced deceased at the scene. The operator of the Acura (Pearce) suffered minor injuries. The operator (Cowling) and passenger, Troy Hahn (38) of Milton-Freewater, of the Jeep Grand Cherokee were transported to St. Mary’s hospital in Walla Walla, WA by private vehicle with minor injuries. The highway was impacted for approximately 5.5 hours during the on-scene investigation. OSP was assisted by Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office, Milton-Freewater Police Department, Milton-Freewater Fire Department, and ODOT.