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3 dead after man steers sports car into oncoming traffic on Oregon highway

COOS BAY, Ore. — A man who was speeding and driving erratically on an Oregon highway on Thursday intentionally crashed into an oncoming car, killing himself and the two occupants of the other vehicle, authorities said.

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Cory Marcus Orsenico, 32, of California, crossed a double yellow line on U.S. 101, known as the Oregon Coast Highway, while driving a red sports car, according to the Coos County Sheriff’s Office. Orsenico’s vehicle had been involved in a minor collision with an Oregon State Police vehicle, KATU reported.

Orsenico drove into the path of a vehicle driven by Dawn Adams, 54, of Bandon, KCBY reported. She was killed, along with her passenger, Jeffrey Adams, 78, of Bandon, the television station reported. Both died at the scene.

Press Release: Request for Assistance

Posted by Coos County Sheriff's Office on Thursday, April 22, 2021

Reports of Orsenico’s driving in the Port Orford, Oregon, area were called into 911 beginning at around 7:15 a.m. PDT, KCBY reported.

“Over the following hour, Orsenico was reported multiple times for increasingly dangerous driving, including speeding, swerving in and out of lanes, passing on corners, making sudden U-turns, cutting off vehicles including semi-trucks, speeding through the school zone in Bandon at over 60 mph and running red lights without slowing,” the sheriff’s office said. “Police from several agencies were attempting to locate Orsenico, as he was endangering people with his reckless driving.”

State troopers located Orsenico, and two vehicles were involved in a minor collision, KATU reported. Orsenico headed southbound on U.S. 101 with troopers in pursuit, the television station reported.

“Investigating officers have reason to believe that Orsenico traveled from the slow lane of the three-lane highway to the fast lane, then crossed the double yellow line before intentionally colliding with the vehicle in the opposing lane,” the sheriff’s office said.

On March 10, Orsenico was arrested at a motel in Orick, California, after allegedly brandishing a knife and threatening to stab a lodger, the Times-Standard of Eureka reported. According to the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, Orsenico was arrested and charged with exhibiting a deadly weapon other than a firearm, criminal threats, probation violation and vandalism, KRCR reported.

Thursday’s incident remains under investigation, KATU reported.