911 Call Released in Fatal Crash Involving Priest (AUDIO)

Hear the audio tape of the call placed on June 8th.

52-year old David Schwartz and 61-year old Cheryl Gibbs died June 8th in a crash on Oregon Highway 26

(TILLAMOOK, Ore.) - A 911 tape of the call a motorist made after witnessing the car sail off Oregon's Highway 26 June 8th has been released. The car was driven by a California priest and his traveling companion, their bodies were discovered Sunday by a Civil Air Patrol plane.

An intense search for the two was underway at the time their red compact car was spotted. It had gone off the highway into a steep ravine.

An hour long search June 8th based on the 911 report didn't turn up the crashed car. As it turns out, the emergency responders, both police and fire, didn't cover a large enough area, and they failed to cover the last half mile of roadway around milepost 26 where the car was located.

Oregon State Police say their investigation into the double fatal crash about five miles east of Elsie involving 52-year old David Schwartz and 61-year old Cheryl Gibbs is continuing.

State Police Spokesman Greg Hastings says that to this date, investigators have been unable to have contact with a the original reporting citizen, self-identified as "Doug Selby", through a phone number he provided on June 8th when he made a call into the Washington County 911 center.

On that day the man reported an eastbound car that had gone off Highway 26 and was no longer visible from the roadway. Investigators left several messages requesting contact to receive a statement without any returned calls.

Oregon State Police troopers responded to the area on June 8th where a little over an hour was spent trying to locate a crashed vehicle.

On Tuesday evening a female who reportedly owns the cell phone with the number provided by "Selby" contacted OSP. The female informed OSP that she has owned the phone four years and does not know anyone named "Doug Selby".

OSP continue to encourage the original reporting citizen to contact investigators and provide a detailed statement related to the reported crash.

Investigators were informed Tuesday by WACCA that the phone call originated from the Timber Junction area which is located approximately 12 miles east of the reported crash scene location.

Oregon State Police and Dr. Joanne Stefanelli, Clatsop County Medical Examiner, met with members of DAVID SCHWARTZ family Tuesday in Seaside to update them on the investigation, answer questions, and release the findings by the Oregon State Medical Examiner following autopsies earlier in the day.

During the meeting, Oregon State Police representatives apologized to family members for not finding the vehicle on June 8th when the initial report was called in about a vehicle that drove off Highway 26.

In addition to the early afternoon meeting, Oregon State Police Captain Calvin Curths, Northwest Region Commander, and officials from Portland Police Bureau met with family members to answer questions and play a dispatch tape with recordings of the call from WACCA to OSP Northern Command Center (NCC) dispatch and subsequent OSP dispatch conversations.

A review of the original call made June 8th to WACCA from the witness, and the call from WACCA to OSP NCC, reflected that some details were not provided including that the crash happening "1/4 mile west of milepost 26" and the vehicle had traveled off the "north side" of the highway.

The following is a transcript of the call made June 8th at approximately 4:23 PM from WACCA to OSP NCC:

NCC: State Police this is Rick, may I help you?

WACCA: Hi Rick this is Bruce working fire dispatch Washington County, are you guys aware of the single vehicle off the road mile post 26 on 26?

NCC: Mile post 26 on 26, which 26 side

WACCA: West towards the beach

NCC: No

WACCA: Okay we're starting medical, I did notify Astoria dispatch and Seaside dispatch and they were arguing over whose dispatch that was and I told them here's your info; you guys deal with it we'll…

NCC: One vehicle off road unknown injury medics in route

WACCA: Described as a compact red car and it was eastbound and the caller said it was not visible from the roadway.

NCC: Okay I'll put it in.

WACCA: Alright, I've got a witness name if you'd like that?

NCC: Yeah, what is the witness name?

WACCA: Doug Selby at (cell phone number provided)

NCC: Thanks

WACCA: You're welcome

NCC: Bye

Following the June 8th phone call between dispatch centers, OSP Trooper David Corkett responded east while patrolling near milepost 13.

Lieutenant Steve Lane, OSP Fish & Wildlife Division, was traveling through the area eastbound and advised OSP NCC that he would check for any signs.

Trooper Dan Diamond responded west from the Banks area to a crash reported to be at milepost 35.

It is reported that all OSP personnel were aware of the possibility of two crashes at separate locations.

An Oregon Department of Transportation employee also responded to the area and while enroute confirmed that the activity at milepost 35 was a disabled vehicle with occupants waiting for help to arrive from the coast.

The ODOT crew then continued west toward milepost 26 as members of the Elsie Vine-Maple Fire Department also were in the area of milepost 26 to look for the reported crash.

Hastings says police and fire personnel checked between milepost 25 and 27 but failed to locate any signs of where a vehicle may have traveled off the highway. "They met in the vicinity while checking a possible location about 1/2 mile east from the later discovered crash site."

In addition to the fatal crash investigation, OSP is conducting an incident response review to learn the facts and determine if there are lessons learned related to the June 8th response. There is no set date when the review will be completed.

Click the play button below to hear the call and see images of David Schwartz and Cheryl Gibbs and the crash scene on Oregon Highway 26

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