Ruth Bascom was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 politician who served as the first female Mayor

Mayor

In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....

 of Eugene, Oregon

Eugene, Oregon

Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...

 from 1993 until 1996.

As Mayor, Bascom worked to revitalize downtown

Downtown

Downtown is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's core or central business district ....

 Eugene. The Riverbank Trail System, which extends for twelve miles through the city along the Willamette River

Willamette River

The Willamette River is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States...

, is named for her.

On August 15, 2010, Bascom was the passenger of a car driven by her husband, John Bascom. Bascom reportedly fell asleep at the wheel and struck several trees and large boulders on U.S. Route 395

U.S. Route 395 in Oregon

In the U.S. state of Oregon, U.S. Route 395 traverses the desert and rural areas on the eastern side of the state. The largest cities that US 395 passes through are Pendleton, the county seat of Umatilla County, and Hermiston, also in Umatilla County....

 near Burns, Oregon

Burns, Oregon

Burns is a city in and the county seat of Harney County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 census the population was 2,806.-History:Burns was established in the early 1880s and incorporated upon Harney county's creation in 1889...

. Ruth Bascom suffered major injuries in the accident and was hospitalized.

Ruth Bascom died from a stroke

Stroke

A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...

and injuries sustained in the accident on August 26, 2010, at the age of 84. She was survived by her husband and six children.