Victim Tentatively Identified in Fatal Crash Near Scottsburg‏

OSP troopers from the Coos Bay and Roseburg Area Command offices are continuing the investigation with the assistance of an OSP crash reconstructionist.

Photo of crash scene: Oregon State Police

(SCOTTSBURG, Ore.) - Oregon State Police troopers are continuing the investigation into Saturday afternoon's four vehicle fatal traffic crash that left one person dead and six others injured on Highway 38 east of Scottsburg in Douglas County.

They say the victim is tentatively identified as 20-year old Heidi Rosanna Johnson of North Bend.

Ms Johnson was traveling from North Bend to Springfield where she was a student at Lane Community College. Her dog also died in the crash that happened January 3rd, 2009 at 2:49 PM.

Oregon State Police had received a report of the multi-vehicle traffic crash on Highway 38 near milepost 20 just after the crash happened.

They say the preliminary investigation indicates a Toyota Sequoia driven by 72-year old John Flaxel of Coos Bay, was westbound on Highway 38 approaching three eastbound vehicles when it crossed the centerline and sideswiped the first vehicle, a Ford F150 pickup, driven by 50-year old Konrad W. Kennelly of Port Angeles, Washington.

Troopers say that after sideswiping the pickup, the Toyota continued into the eastbound lane and collided head-on with a Volkswagen Jetta driven by Heidi Johnson, causing it to land off the highway were it caught fire.

The driver of a third eastbound vehicle, a Chrysler minivan driven by 59-year old Shirley A. Powell of Sutherlin, saw the collision and steered to the right to avoid the Toyota. The minivan came to a stop off the highway in a ditch.

The Ford F150 pickup came to a stop overturned in the middle of the highway. Kennelly and passenger, 50-year old Martha Xitco of Port Angeles, Washington, received minor injuries and were transported by ambulance to Bay Area Hospital in Reedsport.

John Flaxel accompanied an OSP trooper to Bay Area Hospital for an evaluation where it was discovered he was bleeding internally. He was transported to a Eugene-area hospital by air ambulance. His passenger/wife, Joy Flaxel, age unknown, was transported by air ambulance to Sacred Heart Hospital at RiverBend in Eugene.

Shirley Powell and her passenger/husband, 59-year old Evert Powell, were transported with minor injuries by ambulance to Bay Area Hospital.

OSP troopers from the Coos Bay and Roseburg Area Command offices are continuing the investigation with the assistance of an OSP crash reconstructionist. Highway 38 was closed 3 hours before being opened to one lane. Highway conditions were wet.

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office, Elkton Fire Department, Scottsburg Fire Department and ODOT assisted at the scene.

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