Fatal Traffic Crash on Oregon Highway 20 East of Santiam

The winter roads claimed a Salem woman Friday afternoon when she lost control of her car on the ice and crashed nearly head-on with a commercial truck.

Photo: OSP

(SANTIAM JUNCTION) - At about 12:40 PM Friday, 20-year old Kara Marie Copeland from southeast Salem was westbound on Highway 20 near milepost 78 negotiating a slight right hand curve on the ice/snow covered road when it lost control. Police say that the 2001 Toyota Corolla she was driving crossed into the eastbound lane and collided with an eastbound 2001 Volvo truck towing a trailer. Both vehicles came to rest blocking the westbound lane, about three miles east of the Santiam Junction. Kara Copeland was pronounced deceased at the scene. She was using safety restraints, and the car’s airbags deployed. The truck’s driver, 51-year old Ronnie Simmons from Scappoose, was not injured. He was also using safety restraints. The trailer was loaded with about 48,000 pounds of lumber, none of which reportedly spilled. ODOT assisted with traffic control using the eastbound lane to shuttle traffic through in both directions. There was one lane in both directions at the crash scene for about four hours, until the highway was completely reopened about 5:15 PM. Oregon State Police troopers from Albany and Bend Area Command offices responded to the crash. Sisters Fire Department personnel also assisted.