CBPD release – On 05/05/21, at 0743 hours, the Coos Bay Police Department dispatch center received numerous 911 calls reporting an injury vehicle accident involving two vehicles in the 2800 block of Ocean Blvd. near 28th Street. It was reported that the accident involved a smaller car and a box truck. It was reported that someone had been struck and was under the box truck. Further, callers reported that a female associated with the smaller car had run from the area. She was described as a white, female, adult, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt. Her whereabouts and identity are currently unknown. Medical personnel and law enforcement were dispatched to the scene. Once on scene, medical personnel tended to the injured man, later identified as 43-year-old Rex Lawton of Coos Bay. Officers diverted traffic and due to the severity of the crash, shut down through traffic on Ocean Blvd. and taped off the scene. The Coos County Crash Team was activated. Lawton was transported to Bay Area Hospital by Bay Cities Ambulance where he later died as a result of his injuries. The driver of the box truck, 50-year-old Joseph Gayewski of Coos Bay, remained on scene. From witness statements, investigators learned that the small vehicle, a 1996 Mazda Protégé had been stopped or stalled in the outside westbound lane. Lawton was outside of the vehicle when it was struck from the back by the box truck, a 2018 Chevrolet. The Coos County Crash Team was notified and representatives from the Oregon State Police, Coquille Tribal Police Department, Coos County Sheriff’s Office, Coos County District Attorney’s Office, and the Coos County Medical Examiner’s Office responded to the scene to assist. City of Coos Bay Public Works assisted with traffic control. Coos Bay Fire Department and Coos Bay Police Department Drone pilots assisted with the investigation as well. The crash is still currently under investigation by the Coos Bay Police Department and Oregon State Police. Anyone with information regarding the crash or the identity of the female are encouraged to call the Coos Bay Police Department at 541-269-8911 or Coos Stop Crime at 541-267-6666.
