Bend man’s pickup crashes on Hwy. 126W; mother killed
A 65-year-old Bend man crashed his pickup into a tree along Hwy. 126W in Lane County Friday afternoon, and his 87-year-old mother died after being taken to a Springfield hospital, Oregon State Police reported.
According to OSP Sgt. Casey Codding, around 3:30 p.m., a Toyota pickup driven by William L. Calhoun was on the highway near milepost 26 when it went off the road and struck a tree.
The driver’s 87-year old mother, Beverly Louise Calhoun of Florence, was trapped in the pickup and removed by Western Lane Fire / EMS personnel, Codding said.
She was flown by LifeFlight helicopter to Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend with critical injuries and died after arrival at the hospital, the trooper said.
The driver received minor injuries but declined transport to a hospital, Codding said, adding that both were using their seat belts.
OSP troopers from the Springfield Area Command office are conducting the investigation, and said driver fatigue is a possible contributing factor. Trooper Josh Wolcott-Peterson is the lead investigator.
OSP was assisted at the scene by Western Lane Fire / EMS and ODOT. The highway was closed about an hour before one lane was open to traffic during the scene investigation.