A player and coach on the Umpqua Community College softball team were killed Friday after the team’s van was involved in head-on crash in Coos County, Ore., the Oregon State Police reported.
Head coach Jami Strinz and freshman Kiley Jones were killed from injuries suffered in the crash.
“We are deeply saddened to confirm that one of our student-athletes, Kiley Jones, and one of our coaches, Jami Strinz, lost their lives in the accident,” said Dr. Rachel Pokrandt, president of Umpqua Community College, in a release Saturday. “Additional staff and students remain in hospitals in Eugene and Portland. 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,”
Strinz was driving a Chevrolet Express bus eastbound on Oregon Highway 42 near milepost 23 around 10 p.m. Friday night when a westbound Chevrolet Silverado crossed the centerline and struck the team bus head-on.
The bus was occupied with 10 members of the Umpqua softball team, OSP reported.
Evergreen High School graduate Ashlyn Wolfe is a member of the Umpqua softball team, but it is not known if Wolfe was aboard the team bus involved in the crash.
Jones, 19, from Nampa, Idaho, was declared dead on the scene. Strinz, 46, of Roseburg, Ore., was transported to the hospital with critical injuries, where she later died.
The driver of the Silverado, Johnathan James Dowdy, 32, of Coos Bay, Ore., suffered serious injuries and was transported to an emergency medical center.
The other eight occupants of the bus, whose identities were not yet being released, suffered moderate to serious injuries.
The highway was closed for about five hours during the on-scene investigation. Impaired driving is considered a primary cause of the crash.
The Umpqua team was returning to its campus in Roseburg, Ore., after playing a doubleheader Friday in Coos Bay against Grays Harbor College. Umpqua was scheduled to play another doubleheader Saturday against Lower Columbia College in Springfield, Ore., but those games were cancelled.
Umpqua established a softball program for the first time this season.
Strinz was from Pleasant Hill, Ore., and she had previously served as a coach at several colleges, including Portland State and George Fox, before being hired at Umpqua.
Her partner Steve Williams is an assistant coach at Umpqua. They have a daughter together.
“These individuals were cherished members of our campus—an exceptional student-athlete, and a passionate and talented coach,” Pokrandt said. “Our entire community is grieving this tragic loss, and our heartfelt condolences are with their families, teammates, and loved ones. 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. Please join us in holding space for grief and reflection as we honor these individuals.”
