Umpqua Community College officials identified softball player Kiley Jones and coach Jami Strinz as the two people killed in a crash Friday night while the team was traveling back to the Roseburg campus after a game.
An oncoming car crossed the line and hit the team bus, which Strinz was driving, Oregon State Police reported.
Jones, 19, was a first-year student and first-base player from Nampa, Idaho. Strinz, 46, who lived in Roseburg, also coached the college’s volleyball team and was well-known in Oregon collegiate softball circles, according to the college’s website.
In addition to the two women who died, eight other people associated with the team were also on the bus and suffered moderate to serious injuries, the state police said.
Multiple students and staff members remain in hospitals in Eugene and Portland after the crash, the college’s president, Rachel Pokrandt, announced Saturday afternoon.
This is the first season for Umpqua Community College’s softball program, and the team was returning from winning a double-header against Gray’s Harbor College played on the campus of Southwest Oregon Community College in North Bend. The university said team players and officials were making their way back from Coos Bay, which abuts North Bend. It’s an 85-mile drive along winding Oregon 42 to return to Roseburg.
The preliminary investigation indicates that Johnathan James Dowdy, 32, of Coos Bay was driving west on the highway in his Chevrolet Silverado and crossed the centerline, state police said. The Silverado struck the team bus, a Chevrolet Express, head-on.
Impaired driving is considered a primary cause of the crash, state police officials said. Dowdy was previously cited for driving under the influence of intoxicants on Jan. 19 of this year, when a breath test showed his blood alcohol level was 0.12%, above the 0.08 level that represents a presumption of guilt, court records show. Record appear to show he was not scheduled to appear in court until early May to face that charge, given high caseloads on public defense lawyers.
Dowdy suffered serious injuries in the crash and was driven to an emergency medical center.
Jones died at the scene. Emergency responders drove Strinz to a hospital with critical injuries and she was later pronounced dead.
“UCC hearts are breaking with this news, and we ask the community to keep the families and all of those affected in their thoughts and prayers,” Pokrandt wrote in a statement Saturday. “These individuals were cherished members of our campus — an exceptional student-athlete, and a passionate and talented coach.
“Our entire community is grieving this tragic loss, and our heartfelt condolences are with their families, teammates, and loved ones,” she wrote. “We ask that you keep them in your thoughts and offer privacy for the families during this difficult time. Support services are available to all students, faculty, and staff.”
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