Wilsonville woman dies in Hwy. 20 collision with HS team bus

A Wilsonville woman was killed Thursday afternoon when her pickup crossed the center line of Hwy. 20 near Santiam Pass and collided with a school bus carrying the Sheldon High School boys soccer team and coaches, Oregon State Police reported.

The crash occurred shortly before 2 p.m. near milepost 79, east of Santiam Junction, near Hogg Rock, said OSP Sgt. Dave Pond.

A 1993 Chevy pickup heading west on the highway crossed the center line and struck the eastbound Eugene School District bus. The pickup came to rest in the westbound ditch.

Emergency crews arriving on scene found the pickup’s driver, Camille Nelson, 32, of Wilsonville, had died, Pond said.

The school bus had a total of 43 members of the Sheldon High School boys’ soccer team, including the driver, coaches and students. The only injuries reported were minor to a couple of occupants, the sergeant said.

The Sisters School District sent a school bus and transported the students to Sisters Middle School, where counselors were made available.

Highway 20 was closed for several hours due to the wreck and investigation.

The roads were wet at the time of the crash, which remains under investigation, Pond said.

OSP said it was assisted at the scene by the Oregon Department of Transportation, the Black Butte Police Department and the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire Department.

The Sheldon High team was on its way to a game at Summit High School in Bend, which later was canceled.

The highway, where rain was falling, was blocked in both directions for hours by the crash and investigation. One lane reopened by 5 p.m., with flaggers moving backed-up traffic in each direction past the crash scene. It was fully reopened around 6:30 p.m.

Earlier, ODOT warned motorists to avoid the area, use an alternative route or expect long delays.