October 14, 2026 9:20 a.m.

Covering coastal Douglas County:

A sedan burned after a single vehicle accident on Highway 38 on Wednesday afternoon.

An Oregon State Police report said just after 3:30 p.m. the vehicle was eastbound on the highway between Brandy Bar Lane and Wilson Canyon Lane in the Reedsport area. The driver said she was tired and claimed to have swerved the vehicle to avoid a squirrel. The sedan travelled onto the eastbound shoulder and crashed into the sloped rock embankment. It then travelled uncontrolled and re-entered the eastbound lane and then crossed the double yellow centerline. The vehicle went across the oncoming westbound lane of travel and then off the westbound shoulder. It rotated and rolled, coming to an uncontrolled rest at the base of a decline against a Douglas Electric power pole.

The sedan then caught on fire and became engulfed in flames. The fire burned the wooden utility pole. A 700-gram watermelon honey dew whip nitrous oxide container was located on the ground near the vehicle. The driver later admitted to having removed it from the vehicle and having used it in the past. She was transported to Lower Umpqua Hospital in Reedsport by ambulance. The driver was interviewed and was given citations for careless driving, and unlawful possession of inhalants, and was warned for failure to drive within a lane.

Reedsport Police Department, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and several fire agencies responded to assist at the scene. Traffic on Highway 38 was impacted for a time while the accident was dealt with.