LANE COUNTY, Ore. — An investigation continues in a fatal head-on collision in Oregon in the overnight hours Thursday night.
Oregon State Police reports that at around 2:23 a.m. on Thursday morning, troopers responded to a two-vehicle fatal crash on Highway 126 near Florence in Lane County.
Police say the preliminary investigation indicated that a white Freightliner semi-truck traveling westbound, operated by Joseph Jack Botelho, 64, of Veneta, and a white Ford T-350 van traveling eastbound, operated by Mathew Jacob Decker, 37 of Eugene, collided head-on near milepost 6 on Hwy. 126 for an unknown reason.
Decker was declared deceased at the scene.
Botelho had reported minor injuries and was not transported.
The highway was impacted for approximately five hours during the on-scene investigation.
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.
