Fatal Crash - Highway 42 - Coos County - 10/06/25

Coos County, Ore. (Oct. 6, 2025) - On Saturday, October 4, 2025, at 10:44 a.m., Oregon State Police responded to a two-vehicle crash on Highway 42, near milepost 27, in Coos County.

The preliminary investigation indicated an eastbound Chevrolet 1500, operated by Heather Renee Leach (37) of Reedsport, lost control and spun into the westbound lane. The Chevrolet struck a westbound Ford F-350, operated by Nicholas Glenn Taylor (56) of Grants Pass, head-on.

The operator of the Chevrolet (Leach) was declared deceased at the scene.

The operator of the Ford (Taylor) and a passenger, Holly Helene Taylor (53) of Grants Pass, were injured and transported to an area hospital.

The highway was impacted for approximately two hours. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

OSP was assisted by the Coos County Sheriff's Office, Myrtle Point Police Department, Coquille Police Department, Myrtle Point Fire Department, and Bridge Fire.

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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.