Tragedy struck Interstate 5 in Lane County on Tuesday when a multi-vehicle crash resulted in one fatality and several hours of highway closure. According to the Oregon State Police report, the fatal incident occurred around 8 a.m. near milepost 186 and involved three vehicles.
The collision began when a white Dodge Caravan driven by Kennith James Nelsen, 56, of Coos Bay, tried to cross into the emergency vehicle turnaround from the highway's slow lane. Nelsen's van struck a gray Dodge Charger, operated by Timothy Brian Smith, 59, of Springfield, which then veered into the path of an oncoming white Kenworth dump truck with a loaded trailer. Jaison William Karow, 44, also of Coos Bay, drove the truck. In the disastrous series of events, Smith's Charger ended up under the dump truck, resulting in the death of his passenger, Kenneth Nicholas Thomas, 61, of Springfield.
Smith was seriously injured and transported to a local hospital, while Nelsen and Karow were reported not injured by the preliminary investigation. Following this initial crash, a secondary incident involving three vehicles occurred on the southbound side of I-5. However, no injuries were reported as a result of the secondary collision.
The highway faced disruptions for about four hours during the investigation into the crash, which remains ongoing. Supporting at the scene were multiple agencies, including the Lane County Sheriff's Office, Pleasant Hill Rural Fire Protection District, Eugene Springfield Fire, South Lane Fire and Rescue, Lane County District Attorney's Office, Lane County Medical Examiner's Office, and the Oregon Department of Transportation. No charges have been filed at the time of this reporting, but updates will follow as the Oregon State Police continue their investigation.
