Fatal Crash – Highway 101 – Coos County - 04/16/26

COOS COUNTY, Ore. (16 April 2026) – On Wednesday, April 15, 2026, at 2:48 p.m., Oregon State Police responded to a two-vehicle fatal crash on Highway 101 near milepost 260 in Coos County.

The preliminary investigation indicated a white Mercedes E400, operated by Bernard Cooley (78) of Bandon, was traveling northbound in the southbound lane when it nearly collided with a Bandon Police Department patrol vehicle and another passenger car. The Bandon police officer activated the patrol car’s overhead lights and turned around to stop the wrong-way driver. While the patrol car was trying to catch up, the Mercedes struck the southbound guardrail and veered back into the southbound lane. The Mercedes then collided head-on with a southbound blue Mazda Mazda3, operated by Mariah Mayfield (18) of Coquille.

The operator of the Mazda (Mayfield) was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The operator of the Mercedes (Cooley) was transported to an area hospital with minor injuries.

The highway was impacted for approximately three hours during the on-scene investigation.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

OSP was assisted by the Bandon Police Department, Coos County Sheriff’s Office, Bandon Fire Department, and the Oregon Department of Transportation.
 

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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 documenting, investigating, and analyzing complex motor vehicle crashes and crime scenes. They receive specialized training in using 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.