Softball community remembers beloved coach who died in fiery wrong-way crash

CORBETT, Ore. (KATU) — The Northwest softball community is remembering Jeff Flood, a beloved coach, father and friend.

“This is a grown man that went to dance recitals, and he had no kid in it. It was supporting his friends, it was supporting kids that, his kids were friends with,” said Greg Bobnick a parent who coached alongside Flood.

Bobnick added the 40-year-old, they knew as “Pee-wee,” was the driving force of their youth sports organization.

“We really got close these last few years. We coached together. The three of us and him starting an organization together for youth sports,” Bobnick told KATU.

Flood died early Saturday morning in a crash with a wrong-way driver on Interstate 84 in the Columbia River Gorge, Oregon State Police said.

The crash was reported at about 3:50 a.m. near milepost 24.

Initial reports state that 26-year-old Autumn Breeze Willis, of Beaverton, was driving west in the eastbound lanes in a BMW X3.

She crashed head-on into an eastbound Tesla Model Y driven by Flood, of Boring, police said.

“The crash caused the Tesla to catch fire and become fully engulfed,” state troopers said.

PAST COVERAGE | Driver dies, another seriously hurt in crash on I-84 near Corbett

Flood was pronounced dead at the scene.

Willis was seriously injured and taken to the hospital.

I-84 was closed for about five hours for a crash investigation.

The community got news of Flood’s death shortly after.

“Brad here is the one that had to notify me in the middle of a halftime during his own son’s game while his son was playing with Jeff’s son. And a good portion of our community kind of all came together at the football field immediately, and it was just separate moments of shock,” Bobnick said. “I’m hoping that we three can carry on and push forward with, not him in mind, but him in the forefront like he was when he was with us.”

The criminal investigation is ongoing, state police officials said, adding that they are not releasing details into that case at this time.

The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, Corbett Fire, and ODOT all helped with the investigation.

Now, a community is left with the fervid task to remember Flood while continuing on his legacy.

“I have a tough kid, and he’s known to be tough on the baseball field and the football field, but the last two days, he’s just been crying himself to sleep because he doesn’t have his coach, but more importantly, his friend,” parent Hala Ling said.