Oregon Man Pleads Guilty in Fatal Crash Involving Softball Team Bus
COOS BAY, OR – An Oregon man has pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree manslaughter following a crash on April 18 that resulted in the deaths of a community college softball player and her head coach.
Johnathan Dowdy, 31, also entered guilty pleas to three counts of third-degree assault, five counts of fourth-degree assault, one count of driving under the influence, and one count of driving with a suspended license, according to court documents filed in Coos County Circuit Court.
Authorities said Dowdy was driving his pickup truck when he crossed the center line and collided with a bus transporting 10 members of the Umpqua Community College softball team. Coach Jami Strinz, 46, was later declared dead at a hospital. Freshman Kiley Jones, 19, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The team was returning from a game in Coos Bay at the time of the incident. Eight other passengers on the bus sustained moderate to serious injuries, while Dowdy was also hospitalized, though details of his injuries remain unclear.
Dowdy, who was booked into Coos County Jail on April 21, is scheduled for sentencing on September 11. The investigation into the crash is ongoing.