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Friends support Rathdrum family after fatal crash

Brian Walker | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 9 years, 5 months AGO
by Brian Walker
| June 22, 2016 9:00 PM

Friends of a Rathdrum family involved in a fatal head-on collision in Oregon on Sunday night are rallying support.

Donald Adams, 45, was in critical condition at a Bend hospital on Tuesday and his wife Barbara, 30, was in good condition. Their 10-year-old daughter, Amber, died at the scene, while their 8-year-old son, Marshall, was treated for minor injuries.

"They need a lot of prayer and support right now," said Tricia Hager-Brinkey, a family friend who set up an online benefit account for the family and lives near Detroit. "My heart is bleeding for them."

Police say Alan Eutsler, 29, Bend, the driver of a 1991 Lexus, was pronounced dead at the crash site on Highway 97 south of La Pine.

The Lexus was northbound when it crossed the centerline and struck a southbound 2016 Ford Fusion the Adams family was in, according to police. Speed and unlawful passing by Eutsler were factors in the crash, investigators say.

The family was going to California to attend Barbara's brother's wedding, Hager-Brinkey said.

"It's very heart-breaking," she said. "I can't imagine losing a child. They had been planning this trip for a long time. They're a very loving family."

Hager-Brinkey said Barbara was her maid of honor at her wedding nearly a year ago.

"We met through karaoke online 10 years ago and she's been my friend ever since," Hager-Brinkey said.

Don's hobbies include AirSoft guns, video games and remote-controlled cars.

Highway 97 was closed for more than four hours during the investigation. Oregon State Police were assisted by the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office, Sunriver Police, La Pine Fire and the Oregon Department of Transportation.

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