2 Men Killed In Crash Caused By 20-Year-Old Drunk Driver

NEEDY, OR — A Canby woman faces manslaughter charges for her role in the two-car, alcohol-fueled collision that killed two Clackamas County men Feb. 15.

Oregon City resident Naylor C. Joles, 65, and Robert Lough, 58, of Mt. Angel both died in the car fire that followed the crash near Needy.

Vasilissa Kuzmin, 20, was taken to the Clackamas County Jail a day after the wreck for driving under the influence of intoxicants and on two counts of manslaughter. While her bail is set at $250,000, the Measure 11 crimes will not allow for her release.

Clackamas County deputies were dispatched to South Barlow Road, near the intersection of South Barnards Road and South Whiskey Hill Road, 1 mile west of Needy, around 10 p.m. Feb. 15 after witnesses reported a two-car crash.

Investigators reportedly determined Kuzmin was traveling north on South Barlow Road in her Lexus G47 when she left the roadway and entered the gravel shoulder, continuing for roughly another 200 feet before overcorrecting, crossing back onto the road and over the center line, colliding head on with the southbound vehicle driven by Joles.

Immediately following the crash, Joles' vehicle reportedly caught fire.

Witnesses in the area tried to free Joles and Lough, but they were unable to do so before both men were taken by the fire, police said.

At Oregon Health & Science University, where Kuzmin was taken for treatment of the injuries she sustained in the crash, medical staff found her blood alcohol content (BAC) to be more than 2.5 times the legal limit.

While a driver would fail a field sobriety test if their BAC was 0.08 percent or higher, Kuzmin's BAC was measured at 0.21 percent.

Both Joles and Lough were reportedly heading home from a Thursday night service at the Church of God of Canby at the time of the crash.

Image via Clackamas County Sheriff's Office