Fatal Crash – Highway 126 – Lane County - 06/16/26

LANE COUNTY, Ore. (16 June 2026) – On Monday, June 15, 2026, at 3:53 p.m., Oregon State Police responded to a three-vehicle fatal crash on Highway 126 near milepost 52 in Lane County.

The preliminary investigation indicated a red Mazda3, operated by John Michael Unrein (46) of Springfield, was traveling westbound on Highway 126 near Fisher Road when it crossed the center line for an unknown reason and collided head-on with an eastbound white Chevrolet Equinox, operated by Gina Mae Nix (51) of Veneta. The Chevrolet rolled over and came to rest in the westbound lane. The Mazda3 continued in the eastbound lane and collided head-on with a red Hyundai Elantra, operated by Laura Valent Reales Gutierrez (23), city of residence unknown.  

The operator of the Mazda3 (Unrein) was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The operator of the Chevrolet (Nix) and an adult passenger were not injured.

The operator of the Hyundai (Reales Gutierrez) was transported to an area hospital with minor injuries.

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

OSP was assisted by the Lane County Sheriff’s Office, Lane Fire Authority, Lane County Medical Examiner’s Office, 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.