Oregon Man Admits Guilt in Deadly Crash Involving Community College Softball Team Bus

An Oregon man has pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree manslaughter following a fatal crash with a bus carrying a community college softball team that left a player and the team’s head coach dead, according to court documents filed Wednesday.

The petition to enter a guilty plea, filed in Coos County Circuit Court, shows Dowdy also pleaded guilty 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.

The attorney listed for Dowdy in court records, Jennifer Leigh Leseberg, did not immediately respond to requests seeking comment.

Dowdy was driving his pickup truck on April 18 when he crossed a center line and crashed into a bus carrying 10 members of the Umpqua Community College softball team, state police said.

Jami Strinz, 46, described on the school’s website as the head softball coach, was driving the Chevrolet Express bus. Police said she was later declared dead at a hospital.

Kiley Jones, 19, was pronounced dead at the scene. The freshman from Nampa, Idaho, played first base, according to the athletics department’s website.

The team was traveling from a game in Coos Bay, according to a statement from the school.

The other eight occupants of the bus received moderate to serious injuries, according to police.

Dowdy also was injured and was admitted to a hospital, state police said. It wasn’t immediately clear what type of injuries he had. The Coos County Jail roster shows he was booked on April 21.

Dowdy’s sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 11.