Cottage Grove man seventh Oregon motorcyclist killed in week
A Cottage Grove man was killed Saturday when his speeding motorcycle struck a car pulling out of a driveway near Cottage Grove, Oregon State Police said — the seventh Oregon motorcycle fatality reported in just over a week.
Troopers from OSP’s Springfield Area Command responded around 4 p.m. Saturday to the reported crash on London Road near the Cottage Grove Reservoir, said OSP Capt. Bill Fugate.
A preliminary investigation found a motorcycle operated by Cory Nathan Tocher, 33, of Cottage Grove, was heading south on London Road at a high rate of speed just as a 2008 Chrysler Sebring was pulling out of a private driveway to head northbound, Fugate said.
The motorcycle struck the driver’s side of the Sebring, driven by Jeremy Paul Owens, 41, of Eugene.
Tocher, who was wearing a helmet, was thrown from the motorcycle and pronounced dead at the scene, Fugate said. Owens was unhurt in the crash.
The road was closed for about 90 minutes for a crash reconstruction to be completed.
Fugate said “speed is believed to be a contributing factor in the crash.”
OSP was assisted on scene by the Lane County Sheriff’s Office, Lane County Medical Examiner and South Lane Fire and Rescue.
Fugate said there have been seven reported motorcycle fatalities around the state over the past eight days. Motorcycle operator error was believed to be the primary cause in most of those crashes, he added.
