LINN COUNTY, OR - Oregon State Police (OSP) are reporting that on Sunday, December 22, 2024, at 12:04 a.m., OSP responded to a single vehicle crash on Century Drive NE, at the intersection with Murder Creek Drive NE, in Linn County.
The preliminary investigation indicated a northbound Toyota 4Runner, operated by Kyle Gene Lucas (41) of Albany, left the roadway for unknown reasons, began to roll and ejected three of the four occupants.
The operator of the vehicle (Lucas) was declared deceased at the scene.
A passenger, Justin Shaun Bottcher (36) of Albany, was declared deceased at the scene.
Two passengers, Joy Diana Cavatorta (41) of Philomath and Toby Alan Mello (40) of Albany, were transported with injuries to an area hospital.
The roadway was impacted for approximately two hours during the on-scene investigation. Speed is being considered as the primary cause of the crash. The three occupants who were ejected were not wearing seatbelts.
OSP was assisted by the Linn County Sheriff's Office and ODOT.
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About the Oregon State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit (CRU)
The Oregon State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit (CRU) is a specialized unit responsible for investigating fatal and critical injury collisions on Oregon’s highways. The team provides expertise in the documentation, investigation, and analysis of complex motor vehicle crashes and crime scenes. They receive specialized training in the use of advanced measuring techniques and small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) for on-scene investigations. The CRU team includes ACTAR accredited collision reconstructionists and technical collision investigators deployed across the state.
