On Thursday, April 18, 2014 at approximately 10:30 PM witnesses called the Coos Bay Police Department to report a pedestrian had been struck by a semi-truck on U.S. Hwy 101 near the intersection with Johnson Avenue. Officers from the Coos Bay Police Department and Bay Cities Ambulance responded and found the victim, Donald Darwin Johnson, 55, of Coos Bay, lying deceased in the roadway.
Witnesses reported Johnson walked into the path of vehicles traveling south on Hwy 101. Two vehicles in the left southbound lane were able to avoid Johnson just before he stepped into the path of a semi-truck in the right southbound lane. That semi-truck was unable to avoid a collision with Johnson who died at the scene as a result of his injuries.
The driver of the truck was identified as Rene Hibbs, 52, of Coos Bay. Hibbs was uninjured in the crash and remained at the scene to cooperate with the investigation. No citations were issued to Hibbs.
The investigation was conducted by the Coos County Crash Team that is comprised of members from the Coos Bay Police Department, Coos County Sheriff’s Office, Oregon State Police, North Bend Police, Coos County District Attorney’s Office and the Coos County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Coos County District Attorney Paul Frasier stated that a preliminary investigation into the death of Donald Johnson revealed no basis for criminal charges.
Anyone with additional information or questions regarding the investigation should be referred to Coos County Sheriff’s Deputy Gil Datan at (541) 396-7780.