On Monday, April 7, at 3:28 p.m., Oregon State Police responded to a two-vehicle crash on Highway 99 S, near milepost 1.5, in Lane County.
The preliminary investigation indicated a southbound Kenworth logtruck, operated by Christian James Gossett (52) of Cottage Grove, slowed to make a left turn when it was rear-ended by a southbound Toyota Matrix, operated by Josef Alexander Ward (29) of Creswell.
The operator of the Toyota (Ward) was transported to an area hospital and later declared deceased.
The operator of the Kenworth (Gossett) was reportedly uninjured.
The highway was impacted for approximately 2.5 hours during the on-scene investigation.
Ward was a member of the Eugene Symphony. He was looking forward to his eighth wedding anniversary with his wife, Heather, whom he met at Camp Harlow in Creswell. According to Jeff Platt, communications manager and spokesperson for the GoFundMe page set up for Ward, their friends say the Wards were nearly instantly in love from the time they met at Harlow.
“Now Heather will have to make funeral and burial plans, all while keeping up with everyday bills on a single income,” Marissa Jensen wrote on GoFundMe. “Heather is a woman who pours love and support generously into her friends, family, and community.
The GoFundMe to help Heather cover funeral and living expenses in the wake of her husband’s death has quickly raised more than $11,000 from more than 100 donors. You can donate here.
