Oregon State Police
LINCOLN COUNTY, OR – On Wednesday, June 4, 2025, at about 3:55 p.m., Oregon State Police (OSP) responded to a two-vehicle crash on Highway 101 near Seal Rock in Lincoln County.
The preliminary investigation indicated a blue Ford Taurus, operated by Jonathan Joseph Channels (23) of Waldport, was traveling southbound on Hwy. 101 near milepost 149. The Taurus crossed over the center line for an unknown reason into the northbound travel lane and collided with a white Ram 2500, operated by Kevin Michael Nelsen (54) of Santa Rosa, California.
The operator of the Ford Taurus (Channels) was declared deceased at the scene.
The operator of the Ram (K. Nelsen) and a passenger, Nicholas Nelsen (38) of Santa Rosa, California, were transported to a local hospital with minor injuries.
The highway was impacted for approximately four hours during the on-scene investigation.
OSP was assisted by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, PacWest Ambulance, Seal Rock Fire Department, and the Oregon Department of Transportation.
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About the Oregon State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit (CRU)
The Oregon State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit (CRU) is a specialized unit responsible for investigating fatal and critical injury collisions on Oregon’s highways. The team provides expertise in documenting, investigating, and analyzing complex motor vehicle crashes and crime scenes. They receive specialized training in using advanced measuring techniques and small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) for on-scene investigations. The CRU team includes ACTAR-accredited collision reconstructionists and technical collision investigators deployed across the state.
