On April 29, at approximately 10:06 PM, officers from the Grants Pass Police Department responded to a report of a vehicle crash in the Wal-Mart parking lot.
Multiple vehicles and a pedestrian were reported to have been hit by the suspect’s vehicle before it came to a stop due to damage. The suspect was still on scene.
Upon arrival, officers determined a vehicle driven by Tanya Allen, a 53-year old female, had been parked in the parking lot prior to the crash. After having a conversation with another person in the vehicle, Allen accelerated rapidly through the parking lot striking other vehicles. The occupants of the vehicle were transported to Three Rivers Medical center for evaluation and treatment by AMR.
Authorities say that after hitting several cars, the suspect continued to drive recklessly through the lot at a high rate of speed.
Kenneth Nickerson, a 65-year old male, was outside of his vehicle in the parking lot and struck by Allen’s vehicle. He was not responsive to resuscitative efforts by officers and emergency medical personnel. Nickerson was ultimately pronounced deceased while on scene.
Allen was transported to Three Rivers Medical center for medical evaluation and subsequently lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the following charges:
Manslaughter, DUII, and Reckless Driving.
Additional charges are pending further investigation, according to the Grants Pass Police Department.
The Grants Pass Police Department and Detectives were assisted by Oregon State Police crash reconstruction. An unmanned aerial system (UAS) was also used to assist in documenting the scene.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a suspect is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Source: GPPD
