Kjersten Oquist

Angela Svendsen

This from KVAL’s website in Eugene:

ALBANY, Ore. - A Salem woman is on trial in Linn County for the deaths of two members of the Eugene Symphony.

Fivea Sharipoff, 26, at left, is charged with manslaughter, assault and driving under the influence after a wrong-way crash on Interstate 5 last year.

The crash killed Kjersten Oquist and Angela Svendsen, both members of the Eugene Symphony.

Jury selection began Monday, and the district attorney started making the state’s case on Tuesday.

The DA finished calling witnesses Wednesday morning, and the defense called its first witness in the afternoon. The family of Angela Svendsen said that’s a couple days faster than they were originally told by the DA’s office.

The prosecution called about 25 witnesses, including paramedics, state police, at least one person from the eugene symphony and employees at the Abbey’s pizza where the prosecution contends Sharipoff was drinking.

Sheripoff is out on bail. She and the people walking with her had no comment.

Friends and family of the women killed in the accident gathered outside the courtroom after today’s proceedings. Svendsen’s husband said it was difficult to relive the accident in the courtroom.

One witness was called to the stand in Sherifpoff’s defense, who testified about the two of them drinking at an Abby’s pizza the night of the accident. The other witnesses for the defense were not able to make it today cause the trial is moving faster than expected. The court will not be in session tomorrow but will resume on Friday.

Video coverage can be found at the story’s page on KVAL’s website.

Photo of the defendant, Favea Sharipoff, aged 26:

Photo: KVAL, Eugene.

For those of you who were friends, colleagues, or acquaintances of Angela Svendsen and Kjersten Oquist, who were killed by a drunk driver driving the wrong way on I-5 on February 12, 2007, you may be interested to know that the trial dates have been set for the defendant, Fivea Sharipoff, who has one prior DUII conviction.

I received this information via Janet George and Kelly Gronli today:

Trial for the accident is set and looks like the date is going to stick. The trial is scheduled for the first week of June. The dates are June 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9 and 10. The trial will start each day at 9 AM. The Linn County Courthouse is located at

300 Fourth Ave SW
Albany, Oregon 97321

I don’t know which court room the trial will be in but people will be able to find out if they just look on the sheet at the top of the stairs. This is a small courthouse and the listing will include the defendant’s name, Sharipoff. Parking is on the street and there are many spots a couple of blocks away that you don’t have to pay for. Any support would be greatly appreciated. -this via Kelli Gronli

Note: as many court dates have been in the past have been rescheduled multiple times, every attempt will be made to post any changes here to this current trial schedule as soon as possible.