09/21/2026
*** 3 KILLED, INCLUDING 4-MONTH-OLD INFANT, AFTER DRIVER FLEES MYRTLE POINT POLICE ***
Three people, including a 4-month-old infant, were killed Saturday afternoon in a head-on crash on Highway 42 after Oregon State Police said a driver fled from a Myrtle Point police officer.
The crash happened at approximately 4:46 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, near milepost 21, within the Myrtle Point city limits.
According to a preliminary investigation by Oregon State Police, a Myrtle Point Police Department officer was attempting to contact 69 year old Gregory Paul Olson of Myrtle Point.
Police say Olson was suspected of attempting to leave a local business several hours earlier without paying for merchandise.
OSP says Olson fled from the officer in a silver Land Rover LR3 and traveled eastbound on Highway 42 at a high rate of speed.
Investigators say Olson subsequently lost control of the Land Rover, crossed the center line, and collided head-on with a westbound Subaru Forester towing a jet ski.
The Subaru's driver, 32-year-old James Edward Price of Myrtle Point, was pronounced dead at the scene.
A passenger, 20-year-old Genevieve Marie Huffaker of Coquille, was transported to an area hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
A 4-month-old girl was transported to a Portland area hospital, where she was also pronounced dead.
Olson suffered serious injuries and was receiving treatment at a local hospital, according to OSP.
OSP describes its investigation as ongoing. The agency's account of what happened is preliminary and could change as investigators gather additional evidence.
No criminal charges stemming from the crash have been announced.