Fatal Traffic Crash - Highway 38 near Scottsburg

Regional HazMat teams from Coos Bay and Roseburg responded to handle the hazardous material spill and coordinate clean up.

Photographs - Oregon State Police

(ROSEBURG) - Oregon State Police (OSP) are investigating into the cause of Saturday morning's traffic crash on Highway 38 near Scottsburg that resulted in the death of a Gold Beach man and minor injuries to two others.

On April 12, 2014 at approximately 6:07 a.m., OSP Southern Command Center dispatch received a report of a head-on crash on Highway 38 near milepost 18.

Upon arrival, emergency responders confirmed one person was deceased, and two others were injured in a vehicle that went down an embankment and was stopped by several trees about 100 feet from the Umpqua River.

The crash involves a 2008 Toyota Tacoma pickup driven the deceased and a 2002 Ford F550 truck with two occupants reportedly transporting helicopter fuel and drums of Atrazine, a herbicide similar to Roundup.

Preliminary investigation indicates the Toyota Tacoma pickup driven by Joshua Dale Ray Carter, age 22, from Gold Beach, was westbound on Highway 38 when it crossed the double solid center lines and collided nearly head-on with the eastbound Ford truck.

The truck came to rest down the embankment off the highway where some helicopter fuel leaked from a container down an embankment in the direction of the Umpqua River. Four drums containing herbicide fell out of the back of the truck into the brush.

Regional HazMat teams from Coos Bay and Roseburg responded to handle the hazardous material spill and coordinate clean up.

There appears to be no danger to fish or wildlife from the spilled materials. Roseburg Forest Products, Scottsburg Fire Department, and Lower Umpqua Ambulance also assisted at the scene. The US Coast Guard, DEQ and ODFW were notified.

The Toyota pickup came to rest on the highway and Carter was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The truck's driver and passenger received minor injuries. SIMS wasn't transported to a hospital but planned on seeing a doctor later.

Clark was transported by ambulance to Lower Umpqua Hospital in Reedsport. The vehicle they were driving is registered to Applebee Aviation out of Banks, Oregon.

Highway 38 was blocked in both directions for three hours and then one lane was blocked with ODOT helping traffic get through the area. Mast Brothers Towing removed the vehicles.

According to ODOT's website TripCheck.com, the highway is fully open now.

News release from Oregon State Police