Driver Flees After Man Dies In Josephine County Crash on Highway 99

JOSEPHINE COUNTY, Ore. — A two-vehicle crash on Tuesday afternoon at the intersection of Helms Road and Highway 99 in Josephine County left an 85-year-old man dead in his truck and a missing driver in the other vehicle. The driver was later apprehended.

Driver Flees Fatal Accident At Highway 99 Intersection

The Oregon State Police (OSP) indicated in a news release that a northbound Nissan Sentra, driven by 22-year-old Joshua Chaska Patrick of Abbotsford, British Columbia, entered the highway after failing to stop at a stop sign at about 12:23 p.m.

The Nissan struck a northbound Kenworth dump truck, causing the truck to overturn. The truck driver, 85-year-old Uwe Jens Stehnike of Grants Pass, was found dead on the scene.

The Nissan driver, Patrick, had fled on foot but was later arrested nearby. 

The OSP was supported by the Oregon Department of Transportation (Odot), the Rural Metro Fire Department, and the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office, who managed the scene and gathered evidence. Patrick suffered injuries and was treated at an area hospital.

Traffic on Highway 99 was affected for about an hour during the investigation at the scene.