A somber morning on Interstate 5 last week led to a tragic incident when Thomas Lee Sodders, a Roseburg resident, collided with cyclist Justin Jay Little of Cypress, California. Oregon State Police confirmed the fatal outcome of the crash in Douglas County, detailing that the collision occurred at 2:27 a.m. near milepost 133, close to Sutherlin.
The initial findings by OSP, as mentioned in their press release, suggest that the black Toyota Tundra driven by 66-year-old Sodders was in the southbound fast lane when the accident occurred, striking Little. No clear reason has yet surfaced regarding why the 42-year-old cyclist was on the highway. Following the crash, which shuttered the freeway for a spell of four hours due to investigation, Little was pronounced dead at the scene, and Ms. Christine Ann Graham, a passenger in the Tundra, was transported to a nearby hospital with minor injuries.
Sodders himself sustained minor injuries, yet was not taken to the hospital; the sequence of events leading to Little's presence in the fast lane remains under investigation. The aftermath of the accident saw a coordinated response from multiple agencies, including Central Douglas Fire and Rescue, Sutherlin Fire Department, Sutherlin Police Department, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, the Douglas County Medical Examiner’s Office, and the Oregon Department of Transportation.
