Highway 238 Crash Kills One, Injures Another Near Grants Pass
OSP says speed and impairment were likely factors in the deadly early morning wreck.
JOSEPHINE COUNTY, Ore. — A 36-year-old passenger was killed and another person injured after a single-vehicle crash early Monday morning on Highway 238 near milepost 8, according to the Oregon State Police (OSP).
Investigators say a westbound Subaru Impreza, driven by Alexander Ray Yager, 21, of Grants Pass, failed to negotiate a curve just after midnight, left the roadway, struck a power pole, and rolled several times before catching fire.
Yager managed to escape the vehicle and was transported to a nearby hospital with minor injuries. His passenger, Jacob Dean Mix, 36, also of Grants Pass, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Speed and Impairment Suspected
OSP investigators believe speed and impairment were contributing factors in the crash. The impact caused significant damage to the vehicle and surrounding area, requiring emergency crews to close the highway for approximately eight hours during the on-scene investigation and cleanup.
No other vehicles were involved.
OSP was assisted at the scene by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). The investigation remains ongoing.