Infant Survives Coos Bay Highway Four-Car Crash That Took the Lives of Her Parents

COOS COUNTY, Ore. — Oregon State Police (OSP) reports indicate that a fatal multi-car crash in Coos County near Lakeside on Friday at approximately 1:06 p.m. in which a beige Kia Optima crossed the centerline, crashing into a  black Toyota Corolla before colliding into a  black Dodge Ram, then being hit by silver Subaru Outback rsulted in the death of two occupants of the Kia. The other passenger, their baby girl, was uninjured.

According to OSP’s preliminary investigation, the Kia, driven by Manual Samuel Starr (38) of Coos Bay, was traveling northbound when it crossed the centerline for unknown reasons before sideswiping a southbound Corolla driven by Kent McQuillen (61) of Florence.

The Kia then collided head-on with a Ram driven by Jose Maria Rodriguez Garcia (55) of Coos Bay.

A southbound Subaru driven by Lori Priest (61) of Lake Stevens, Washington, then collided head-on with the Kia, as the driver was unable to avoid the crash.

Both Starr and Kia’s rear passenger, Shatara Rosemarie Holmes (39) of Coos Bay, were pronounced deceased at the scene, but their seven-month-old female infant did not appear to be injured. She was transported to a local hospital.

Rodriguez Garcia in the Ram was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries and his front passenger, Nicole Virginia Rodriguez (44) of Coos Bay, who suffered serious injurie, was transported to a local hospital by air ambulance, while 20 year-old passenger Jose Rodriguez Chase Jr., a three-year-old male passenger, and a 14-year-old female passenger reported minor injuries.

Priest reported minor injuries, and her passenger, Nanette Myra Priest (55), also of Lake Stevens, and a 10-year-old passenger were not injured. The Toyota driver was not injured, but the highway was affected for about four hours during the on-scene investigation.