LANE COUNTY, OR - On Thursday, April 3, 2025, at about 2:23 a.m., Oregon State Police (OSP) responded to a two-vehicle fatal crash on Highway 126 near Florence in Lane County.
The preliminary investigation indicated that a white Freightliner semi-truck traveling westbound, operated by Joseph Jack Botelho (64) of Veneta, and a white Ford T-350 van traveling eastbound, operated by Mathew Jacob Decker (37) of Eugene, collided head-on near milepost 6 on Hwy. 126 for an unknown reason.
The operator of the Ford T-350 (Decker) was declared deceased at the scene.
The operator of the Freightliner semi-truck (Botelho) had reported minor injuries and was not transported.
The highway was impacted for approximately five hours during the on-scene investigation.
OSP was assisted by Western Lane Fire and EMS and the Oregon Department of Transportation.
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