Fatal Crash – Highway 540 – Coos County - 10/06/26

COOS COUNTY, Ore. (6 Oct. 2026) – On Sunday, October 4, 2026, at approximately 7:35 p.m., Oregon State Police responded to a two-vehicle fatal crash on Highway 540 near milepost 5 in Coos County.

The preliminary investigation indicated that a silver Chevrolet Aveo, operated by George Cole Cleveland (41) of Coos Bay, was traveling the wrong way, eastbound in the westbound lane, when it collided head-on with a white Toyota Tacoma operated by Aric Dwayne Allen Adkins (35) of Coos Bay.

The operator of the Chevrolet (Cleveland) was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The operator of the Toyota (Adkins) had reported minor injuries. During the investigation, Adkins was arrested on a DUII charge.

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

OSP was assisted by the Coos County Sheriff’s Office, Coos Bay Police Department, Charleston Fire and Rescue, and Bay Cities Ambulance.  

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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.