WALDPORT – The Waldport community and educators at its two schools are reeling from the death of a beloved second-grade teacher in a head-on crash Tuesday on U.S. Highway 20 east of Blodgett.
Anna Kelley, 31, of Waldport, was killed when her vehicle was struck by a car driven by Shylene Olsen, 26, of Corvallis, who also was killed. Investigators said Olsen’s car crossed the center line and collided with Kelley’s Toyota Highlander about 3:35 p.m. Tuesday two miles east of Blodgett.
Two of Kelley’s children, a 1-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy, were removed from her vehicle by a passerby and taken by ambulance to Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center in Corvallis with minor injuries, according to the Philomath News.
Philomath Fire & Rescue deputy chief Rich Saalsaa told Philomath News that the children were saved by their car seats.
“In all my years of responding to accidents, this was the most difficult extrication that I encountered,” he told Philomath News.
The sheriff’s office said the cause of the crash is still under investigation and asked that anyone with information or who may have witnessed the crash to contact deputies at BentonCoSheriff@bentoncountyor.gov or call 541-753-8477 and refer to case 2024-2228.
Friends of the Kelley family set up a GoFundMe account to support her husband, Travis, and children and it had reached $70,000 by Monday from nearly 675 donors during an outpouring of support from the community.
Anna Kelley taught at Crestview Heights School for eight years and coached volleyball at Waldport High School from 2018-2021. Her sister, Becky Moser, is a sixth-grade teacher at Crestview and her brother-in-law Mike Moser is a PE teacher and coach at Waldport High School.
Crestview Heights principal Sandi Battles issued a statement Wednesday evening that said Kelley “made a lasting impression on so many young lives and colleagues, and her loss is truly heartbreaking.”
During back-to-school night next week, Battles said there will be a dedicated space in the courtyard where students and families can write notes, sign cards or draw pictures for the Kelley family, share memories, and support each other. The school will also have counselors and other support available for students once classes start after Labor Day, she said.
Kelley had “such a positive and joyful spirit,” Battle said. “She was a strong advocate for her students in every way possible. Mrs. Kelley’s passion for teaching and unwavering commitment to our students will be remembered by all who had the privilege of knowing her.”
Waldport city councilor Jayme Morris, a longtime secretary and now kindergarten teacher at Crestview, said in a statement to YachatsNews that she had witnessed Kelley’s “journey from an enthusiastic young educator to a respected leader within our school.”
“Alongside her professional growth, she has also been a devoted mother and a cherished member of our community,” Morris said. “Anna was someone you could always rely on and no matter the situation, she had a unique way of making things better. She has profoundly impacted the lives of countless adults and an immeasurable number of children.”
As a relative newcomer to this area I have noticed that these head on crashes are pretty common. I have always disliked two lane highways but unfortunately that’s what we have. It only takes a driver to be distracted for seconds to result in tragedy.
Some truth in what Michael says, but the photo in this article indicates this accident happened on the 4-lane section of Hwy 20 east of Blodgett. Drivers need to stay alert everywhere and all the time. We’re all coming at each other with lethal force.
When there’s not enough room to make more of a highway you can only have two-way highway you just have to be more alert of others around you at times it just doesn’t work and I pray for the family for the husband and the kids and that community and all those children that she taught.
As Michael says above … this happens all too often. First my heart goes out to the families of both of these young ladies. As a utility worker for 43 years along our highways I’ve witnessed many horrific accidents. I am currently a Safety Supervisor for a Traffic Control company. Imagine if you will a work zone with multiple 4-foot wide bright orange signs with orange flags etc. Yet people still drive through these areas texting. We see it out here every day. I’ll bet that some sort of distracted driving caused this terrible tragedy. We’ve actually had many flaggers hit by cars in the past few years. People — put your phones down and drive.
Very very sad. I am a retired sign artist and have to agree that it looks like it was distracted driving that caused this tragedy. I vote for signage on that highway that states loud and clear something like this:
NO CELL PHONE USE ON HWY
PREVENT DANGEROUS DRIVING. KEEP EYES ON ROAD
HANDS ON WHEEL
PULL OVER TO TEXT OR CALL
A 13 mile stretch of Rt 6 in Cape Cod was called Suicide Alley because of this very thing. They have very much improved the road for safety by removing passing zones, added a 3 ft wide berm and 3 ft tall reflectors to the center, and slightly widened the 2 lanes. I drive Hwy 20 frequently on my trips to Beaverton and Portland. People are impatient. They go “comatose” on their commute. I think extra steps should be undertaken to improve the safety of this road, and probably 34 as well. But, bureaucracy being what it is, it may take a decade before it’s considered.
Let’s take a step back and stop implying there was a phone involved. The sheriff’s office clearly states the accident is still under investigation. If you saw something please let the Benton County Sheriff’s Office know. Otherwise if you don’t know, stop saying some one wasn’t paying attention because they were on the phone. A number of things could have happened. It is heart breaking for both families to have had this happen. They both lost a beloved family member at a very young age. I want to send my deepest sympathy to them both. God bless
I agree with Summer. We don’t know yet the cause of this accident. Please don’t guess. It’s a horrible tragedy for both families. My heart goes out to everyone involved
If any remarks are to be made, they should be of support, sympathy and prayers. All these other comments have nothing to do with these young ladies’ demise. Please do use this reply opportunity for anything else. Family and lives are what matters, not the conditions of the road. Have a heart and think and feel for the grieving.