Christina Shane-Contarino Dies After Malheur County Accident on Highway 20 near Milepost 237

Malheur County, Oregon (August 25, 2023) –  75-year-old Christina Cheryl Shane-Contarino of Yreka has been identified as the woman killed in a car accident on Wednesday afternoon in Malheur County.

According to the Oregon State Police, the accident happened on Highway 20 near milepost 237 at 12:20 p.m. on August 23.

Authorities said Shane-Contarino was heading eastbound in a Mercedes SUV when she did not negotiate a curve crossed over the center line into the approaching vehicles. 

A westbound Peterbilt commercial vehicle tried to avoid crashing into the Mercedes to no avail. The two vehicles crashed head-on.

The Peterbilt halted in a nearby cornfield while the Mercedes rested on the shoulder of the roadway.

Shane-Contarino suffered fatal injuries in the collision.

Hijinio A. Hernandez, the Peterbilt driver, was not hurt in the accident.

Police closed the highway for around three hours for an on-scene investigation.

During the on-scene investigation, the highway was shut down for about three hours.

An investigation is ongoing.