Josephine County DUII crash leaves 2-year-old boy dead, investigators say

JOSEPHINE COUNTY, Ore. – A woman was arrested after a violent crash in Josephine County that left her young son dead.

Investigators said on the evening of May 26, 21-year-old Amanda McFarland was driving a Mercury Sable with her 2-year-old son in the rear passenger seat. When they approached the 2600 block of Fish Hatchery Road southwest of Grants Pass, McFarland’s vehicle left the roadway and went onto the gravel shoulder before spinning into oncoming traffic. There, the vehicle hit a Volkswagen Jetta.

According to the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office, McFarland’s son died from injuries sustained in the crash. McFarland herself sustained injuries, but the other driver wasn’t significantly injured, according to deputies.

After an investigation, police said they determined McFarland was driving drunk. After she was discharged from the hospital, McFarland was charged with manslaughter, DUII, reckless driving, and reckless endangering. She remains behind bars in the Josephine County Jail.