Coos Bay man dies; account set up for injured Mapleton man; former Florence resident facing murder charges and Coast Guard searching for missing boat.

Early morning crash kills one east of Florence

A Coos Bay man died early Thursday morning when the truck he was driving side-swiped an oncoming vehicle, then plowed into a boat being towed behind it. 45-year old Shannon Blake Smalley was not wearing safety restraints, but Oregon State Trooper Ron Martin said they most likely would not have made much of a difference. Two Eugene men in the other vehicle, 40-year old Steven Sabin and 41-year old Dale Bohna (BOE-nuh) were not injured. They told police that Smalley’s truck crossed the centerline on a curve. Sabin, driving a 2005 Ford F-150, tried to avoid the crash but could not get completely out of the way. Sgt. Martin said police had received at least two complaints of erratic driving concerning Smalley’s vehicle in the 30-minutes prior to the six A.M. crash. One on Highway 101 south of Florence, another just before the 911 call reporting the collision. He said there was nothing to indicate that Smalley was impaired in any way. Highway 126 was closed eleven miles east of Florence for about 90 minutes before one lane was re-opened. Traffic was routed through the area for the next four-and-a-half hours with the assistance of flaggers from a nearby construction zone and the Oregon Department of Transportation.

A bank account has been set up to receive donations to aid the family of a Mapleton man who suffered a serious spinal cord injury. Johnny Barrows was injured when he dove into the Siuslaw River. Family friend Rachael Miller says 20-year old has insurance, but there are many other expenses to deal with.
206 – “Like the hotel and stuff to be out there closer to John and all the medical bills and just to make sure that they don’t have an extra thing to worry about, they can really focus on John and making sure he’s getting better.”

Barrows remains in critical condition at Springfield’s River Bend Medical Center. Donations can be deposited at any Siuslaw Bank Branch.

A former Florence resident accused of fatally shooting his neighbor was part of an Army unit at Fort Carson, Colorado, but not the same unit whose members have been linked to a number of killings. Jarrod William Pardun (par-DUNN) of Creswell, is charged with last Saturday’s murder of 59-year old Stephen Thurston. An Army spokesman said the 28-year old Pardun served in the 2rd Armored Calvary Regiment. A report released last week found that soldiers from a different Fort Carson unit, the 4th Brigade Combat Team, have been accused of 11 separate killings in Colorado and other states since 2005.

West Lane County Commissioner Bill Fleenor will convene a “community dialogue” Monday morning for Florence area residents at Siuslaw Valley Fire and Rescue. The 90 minute session begins at ten AM.

A 39-foot fishing boat with three people aboard left Newport Saturday for a four-day tuna fishing trip. The Kay Ann was reported overdue when it didn’t arrive at Warrenton, Oregon as scheduled. The US Coast Guard is searching an area as far south as 70-miles off the Siuslaw River beginning today for the vessel. The Kay Ann is described as having a white hull with red and blue trim. Anyone with information about the boat is encouraged to report it to the Coast Guard.

TAKING A LOOK INTO COAST RADIO SPORTS:

Northwest League Baseball:

The Boise Hawks used a couple of late game rallies to come from behind and hold off the Eugene Emeralds 6-2 last night at Civic Stadium. The margin was the largest for the Ems in over a month. Eugene gave up a two-run lead in the fifth, allowing two Boise runs on two outs to tie the game. The Hawks added a pair of runs in the seventh and the ninth as the Boise bullpen shut down Emeralds. The two teams will continue their five game series through the weekend, wrapping it up Monday evening at Civic.