Fatal Crash – Highway 42S – Coos County - 11/04/26

COOS COUNTY, Ore. (4 Nov. 2026) – On Monday, November 2, 2026, at approximately 2:34 p.m., Oregon State Police responded to a single-vehicle fatal crash on Highway 42S near milepost 13.8 in Coos County.

The preliminary investigation indicated a black Subaru Outback, operated by Joanne Marie Rutland (56) of Hillsboro, was traveling westbound on Highway 42S near Coquille when it failed to negotiate a sharp curve and departed the roadway. The vehicle traveled down an embankment, struck a tree, and continued down a steep embankment before coming to a final rest. The vehicle subsequently caught fire.

The operator of the Subaru (Rutland) was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The highway was impacted for approximately 30 minutes during the on-scene investigation.

OSP was assisted by the Coos County Sheriff’s Office, Coquille 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.