Thank you, Shimmer, for the news article. That issue was delivered to my door about 4 hours after I posted about this matter.
However, it appears that the online article was a truncated version of the one that came out in print. I don't have a scanner, so I'll type it out. The italics are mine:
CRASH VICTIM DIES AFTER FALL INTO RESERVOIR
Accident: Tests are under way to determine whether the plunge was accidental or intentional.
By Rebecca Nolan
The Register-Guard
Dorena (That's not on too many maps, but it's about 12 miles east of Cottage Grove) ---
A father of five fell to his death Wednesday night when he plunged 40 feet into Dorena Lake after a minor car accident.
Tests were under way to determine whether Jeffrey Scott Strebe, 39, of Dorena, was under the influence of any type of intoxicant at the time of his death, the Lane County sheriff's office said.
The results will help determine whether Strebe's fall down the so-called "Dorena Drop" was accidental or intentional.
According to the sheriff's office, Strebe lost control of his blue Chevrolet Metro while driving east of Shoreview Road and struck a guard rail along the cliffside.
The collision was low-impact, and Strebe was able to free himself from the car, said John Miller, coordinator of the county's search and rescue team. There were no passengers in the car.
A neighbor who heard the crash called for help shortly before 8 p.m.
Strebe refused medical treatment from firefighters and paramedics, Miller said, and started walking away from the crash scene toward his home on Shoreview Road.
When emergency workers continued to approach him, he climbed over the guard rail and went over the cliff, landing in 12 to 15 feet of water, Miller said.
Statements from emergency personnel who witnessed Strebe's death "indicate that they don't know why he did that," Miller said. "He appeared not to want contact with people."
The area where Strebe fell is accessible only by boat. Search and rescue crews, accompanied by several volunteer divers, recovered his body later Wednesday night.
An autopsy was conducted Thursday, but the results were not made public.
A former millworker, Strebe worked for The Register-Guard as a contract carrier for several years. He also did occasional carpentry work.
He and his wife of 22 years, Teresa, have five sons, ages 12 to 20.
"I would bet my life that he did not jump," said Strebe's mother, Barbara, who lives next door to her son's family. "I think he was disoriented and he slipped off the edge of the road."
Barbara Strebe said her son was afraid of heights and disapproved of the summer swimmers who often dived off Dorena Drop into the reservoir when the water was high.
Over the years, the stunt has left several swimmers with broken backs, Miller said.
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Now for a few comments of my own.
Yes, the question of whether or not he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol is a legitimate one, although I find it extremely distasteful. To the best of my knowledge, he had no past history of trouble with either one of them. He always appeared to me to be a quiet and caring individual who was doing the best he could to cope with the problems of life.
Plus, it has been my experience that the turning to drugs or alcohol is more of a symptom of deeper problems than anything else. If he was using them, what was driving him to them? There have been threads right here on this forum concerning the prevalence of useage among the JW's and why.
That I know full well if there is some evidence found of drink or drugs, everyone will simply shrug their shoulders and dismiss it, only deepens my anger.
LoneWolf
