A four-vehicle crash on Independence Day killed a mom and dad who were traveling with their 7-month-old daughter from Coos Bay and injured several others on U.S. 101 near Lakeside in Coos County.
Oregon State Police responded to the scene at approximately 1:06 p.m. on Friday. According to the preliminary investigation, a beige Kia Optima driven by 38-year-old Manual Samuel Starr of Coos Bay was traveling north when it crossed the centerline for unknown reasons.
The Kia first sideswiped a southbound black Toyota Corolla operated by Kent McQuillen, 61, of Florence, before colliding head-on with a black Dodge Ram driven by Jose Maria Rodriguez Garcia, 55, of Coos Bay. A silver Subaru Outback traveling south, operated by Lori Priest, 61, of Lake Stevens, Washington, was unable to avoid the wreck and also collided head-on with the Kia.
Starr was pronounced dead at the scene, along with his passenger, Shatara Rosemarie Holmes, 39, also of Coos Bay. A 7-month-old girl, identified as the child of Starr and Holmes, appeared uninjured but was transported to a local hospital as a precaution.
The crash resulted in serious injuries to Rodriguez Garcia, who was taken to a local hospital. His front passenger, Nicole Virginia Rodriguez, 44, of Coos Bay, sustained serious injuries and was airlifted to a hospital. Three other passengers in the Dodge Ram — Jose Rodriguez Chase Jr., 20, a 3-year-old boy and a 14-year-old girl — reported minor injuries.
Priest, the Subaru driver, sustained minor injuries in the collision. Her passengers — Nanette Myra Priest, 55, also of Lake Stevens, Washington and a 10-year-old child — were uninjured. McQuillen, who was driving the Toyota, also escaped injury.
Oregon State Police said U.S. 101 remained closed for approximately four hours while authorities conducted their on-scene investigation.
Multiple agencies assisted Oregon State Police at the crash site, including the Coos County Sheriff’s Office, Hauser Fire Department, North Bay Fire Department, Lower Umpqua Ambulance, Bay Cities Ambulance, Coos County Medical Examiner, North Bend Chapel and the Oregon Department of Transportation.
This story was drafted with the assistance of generative AI based on data from Oregon State Police and edited by Oregonian editorial staff. ©2025 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit oregonlive.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
