Woman Killed in Single-Vehicle Accident in Grants Pass Area
on Thursday, June 23, 2011Date: June 19, 2011
Location: Riverbanks Road near Marcy Loop Road, south of Grants Pass
Name: Leslie Irwin
Oregon State Police named the 42-year-old woman killed in a single vehicle crash last Sunday as Leslie Irwin, from the Grants Pass area. Police had waited to release the name until Monday, pending notification of relatives.
OSP Sergeant Tanya Henderson said that at about 4 p.m. Sunday afternoon, Leslie Irwin was eastbound on Riverbanks Road in a 1996 Toyota 4Runner. For reasons as yet unknown, the vehicle swerved into the westbound lane, causing Irwin to over-correct. The Toyota then left the highway on the eastbound shoulder, overturned, and rolled a number of times before finally coming to rest at the bottom of the embankment. Police say that Irwin evidently was not wearing safety restraints; she was thrown from the vehicle. Josephine County Sheriff’s Office, Rural Metro Fire Department and AMR ambulance all attended the scene, but Irwin was pronounced dead at the site of the crash. Police and other relevant authorities are continuing to investigate the cause of the Oregon car crash.
We extend our very sincere sympathy to the family and friends of Leslie Irwin, in this very trying and upsetting time.
While accidents like this one can seem black or white, a closer investigation will sometimes turn up a surprise. Many will assume that the driver was distracted at the wheel, lost concentration or stopped paying attention for some other reason. And perhaps that is exactly what happened. But there are many other possibilities as well. Poor road conditions may have caused this wreck – for all we know, the driver may have swerved to avoid a large pothole that has already caused three accidents, or maybe there other defects in the road surface that caused the driver to swerve and lose control of her vehicle. If that is the case, there may be a lawsuit available against the city/county/state. Such a lawsuit would allow the family of the deceased person to receive compensation and hopefully prevent future accidents on that stretch of road. Maybe the Toyota was recently brought in for a tune-up, and the mechanic replaced the steering mechanism carelessly, and the car lost steering. These things happen, and when someone is seriously injured, or worse, there’s a loss of life, a competent Oregon personal injury attorney can investigate and find out what happened. Usually at no cost. For more information on what to do in the case of an Oregon accident, contact our office or read 7 Common Mistakes That Can Wreck Your Oregon Accident Case.
I was in the vehicle immediately behind her when the accident occurred with my friend, we called the paramedics to the scene. We were the only witnesses to the accident. There was no pothole or defect in the road where she swerved at all. She swerved seemingly at random as if she had missed her turn. And her over-correcting maneuver couldn’t have been performed with a dysfunctional steering assembly. In this situation it was IN FACT black and white. She had been distracted, she regained attention too suddenly, reacted hastily, and it resulted in the fatal maneuver. While I’m sure there were other factors present, It is wrong to insinuate it was the result of a lazy mechanic or a poorly maintained road in this situation. I live less than a mile from the crash site and have to drive past it every day to get into town, and the small memorial there is a reminder to me and my friend to drive safe, always wear a safety belt, and reduce any distractions within our vehicles to a minimum. These are rules all drivers should live by, whether you’re an 18 year old man, or a 42 year old woman. Life lost IS life lost, period.