The fatal collision occurred at approximately 2:50 p.m. Tuesday, September 1, 2026, near milepost 27 on Highway 38.
Douglas County, OR – Two people were killed after a two-vehicle head-on crash on Highway 38 in Douglas County Tuesday afternoon, according to the Oregon State Police.
The fatal collision occurred at approximately 2:50 p.m. Tuesday, September 1, 2026, near milepost 27 on Highway 38.
The preliminary investigation found that a blue Honda Ridgeline pickup driven by 65-year-old Gail Elizabeth Smith of Coburg was traveling eastbound when, for unknown reasons, it crossed the center line and entered the westbound lanes. The Honda then collided head-on with a yellow Douglas County Public Works International dump truck traveling westbound and operated by 25-year-old Cody James Miller of Winchester Bay.
Smith and Miller were both pronounced dead at the scene. No other injuries or arrests were reported.
The reason the Honda crossed the center line and entered the westbound lanes remains unknown. OSP did not provide any additional information about factors that may have contributed to the crash.
Oregon State Police responded to the scene and investigated the fatal collision. Elkton Fire Rural Protection District, North Douglas County Fire & EMS, Scottsburg Rural Fire District, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, and the Oregon Department of Transportation assisted OSP.