Police: Two Cottage Grove residents die in head-on crash on Hwy 101
COOS COUNTY, Ore. — Oregon State Police responded to a two-vehicle crash on Hwy 101 Tuesday, near milepost 252 in Coos County.
Police say a black Nissan Titan driven by Heriberto Morado Ledesma, 35, of Coos Bay, was northbound on Highway 101. The Titan was negotiating a curve, drifted into the southbound lane (for unknown reasons), and struck a southbound blue Jeep Cherokee driven by Vera Lee Belcher, 76, of Cottage Grove, head-on.
The three occupants in the Titan - the driver, Ledesma; Hector Mireles Gallo, 35, of Coos Bay; and Alberto Ramirez Vazquez, 40, of Coos Bay - were transported by ambulance to the hospital for treatment and further medical evaluation.
The two occupants of the Cherokee - the driver, Vera Lee Belcher; and Clayton Gene Belcher, 78, of Cottage Grove - were pronounced deceased at the scene, OSP said.
The highway was impacted for approximately 5 hours during the on-scene investigation.
The investigation is on-going at this time, police said.
OSP was assisted by the Coos County Medical Examiner, the Coos County District Attorney, two Southern Oregon Public Safety Chaplains, Bandon Fire Department, North Bend PD, Coos Bay PD, Coos County SO, Bay Cities Ambulance, and Amling-Schroeder Funeral Service.
