13-Year-Old Oakland Boy Killed as Trucks Collide Head-On on Highway 38

A 13-year-old boy from Oakland, Oregon was killed and six other people were injured last Friday when a pickup truck towing a boat crossed the centerline on Highway 38 near Scottsburg and slammed head-on into an oncoming truck. The crash happened around 1:38 p.m. near milepost 27, shutting down the rural highway for about five hours as investigators worked the scene.

According to The Portland Tribune, the eastbound yellow 2021 Ram 2500, driven by 63-year-old Jason Dean Paden of Portland and towing a 17-foot boat, left its lane and collided head-on with a westbound 2012 Ford F-350 driven by 56-year-old William Everett Ratledge of Oakland. The 13-year-old boy was pronounced dead at the scene. KQEN News Radio reported the boy was an Oakland resident, and that six people total were injured across both vehicles.

Paden suffered serious injuries and was taken to a local hospital, per the Tribune's report. Two passengers in his truck, including a 14-year-old girl, also suffered serious injuries and were hospitalized. Ratledge was airlifted by Life Flight after also being transported to a local hospital, and two juvenile boys riding in his Ford sustained injuries as well.

Five-Hour Shutdown for Crash Reconstruction

Oregon State Police brought in its specialized Collision Reconstruction Unit to document the scene, a team that relies on ACTAR-accredited reconstructionists, drones, and 3D spatial mapping to piece together how fatal crashes unfold, according to a FlashAlert bulletin. That level of technical documentation is what stretched the closure of Highway 38 to roughly five hours while emergency crews and investigators worked the scene.

OSP was assisted at the scene by Elkton Fire and Rescue, Scottsburg Fire and Rescue, Umpqua Valley Ambulance, Lower Umpqua Ambulance, and the Oregon Department of Transportation, per the same account. State police have confirmed the Ram crossed the centerline into oncoming traffic, but investigators have not publicly said why the truck left its lane, leaving open questions about whether mechanical failure, fatigue, or distraction played a role.

Drivers Both Ran Oregon Contracting Businesses

State licensing records show both adult drivers were tied to Oregon contracting businesses. Paden is listed as the responsible individual for Arbor Art Tree Service LLC, a residential specialty contractor registered in Portland, according to the Licensed Contractors Directory. Ratledge is listed as the responsible individual for Better Way Electric LLC, a general contracting business operating out of Sutherlin and Oakland in Douglas County, the same records show.

Investigators are asking anyone who saw the yellow Ram pickup towing the boat before the collision to contact OSP dispatch at 800-442-0776, referencing case number SP26-273676. Witnesses can also reach dispatch from a mobile phone by dialing *OSP (*677).

A Winding, Narrow Corridor With a History of Wrecks

Highway 38, also known as the Umpqua Highway, winds along the Umpqua River through the Coast Range, passing near the Dean Creek Elk Viewing Area on its way to Scottsburg and coastal towns like Reedsport, according to the Bureau of Land Management. The two-lane route features narrow sections and heavy seasonal recreational traffic, including vehicles towing boats and trailers, much like the Ram involved in Friday's crash.

Just three miles away near milepost 24, OSP investigated a serious rollover crash in June after a driver swerved to avoid wildlife in the same Scottsburg area, KQEN News Radio reported at the time. Rural fire districts in Douglas County face a steady workload on these highway corridors; North Douglas County Fire & EMS alone responds to more than 150 motor vehicle crashes a year across its district.

Part of a Broader Pattern on Oregon Roads

Statewide, roadway departure incidents, including vehicles crossing centerlines or drifting from their lanes, account for roughly 47 percent of all fatal traffic crashes, according to Oregon Department of Transportation safety analysis. State highway fatalities totaled 304 in 2024 and stood at 265 in initial 2025 records, a decline from 327 fatalities recorded in 2023, per ODOT data.

Heavy vehicle size also factors into crash severity. Large passenger vehicles, including pickup trucks and SUVs, were involved in 52 percent of fatal collisions involving vulnerable road users in 2025, according to Portland Bureau of Transportation data. Both vehicles in Friday's Highway 38 crash were heavy-duty full-size pickup trucks.

The Douglas County crash is Fatal Crash Near Sutherlin the latest in a string of serious highway incidents OSP has investigated in the region this year, including fatal wrecks on I-5 near Canyonville and on OR 42 south of Roseburg. Highway 38 itself was the site of another fatal single-vehicle crash near Drain last October.