Redding, Calif., woman killed in crash on icy Hwy. 97 north of Crescent
Crash, icy conditions slow Hwy. 26 traffic over Mount Hood
CRESCENT, Ore. (KTVZ) – A Redding, California woman was killed and several other people were injured Sunday morning in a head-on crash on an icy stretch of U.S. Highway 97 in northern Klamath County, Oregon State Police reported.
Troopers and emergency personnel responded around 9:40 a.m. to the crash near milepost 181, north of Crescent, OSP Captain Tim Fox said.
A preliminary investigation found that a pickup truck driven by a 35-year-old Sunnyside, Washington man was heading north when he lost traction on the ice, Fox said. The pickup slid into the southbound lane and collided with another pickup truck driven by a Redding man.
The Washington state driver and three passengers, a Sunnyside woman and two children, were taken to the hospital, as was the second pickup’s driver. His passenger, Cheryl Frank, 63, of Redding, sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the hospital, Fox said.
A third vehicle, an SUV, was involved and its occupants were uninjured.
OSP was assisted at the scene by ODOT and the Crescent Rural Fire Department.
The weather and road conditions were factors in the crash, Fox said.
Winter weather driving conditions Sunday also led to other crashes and slow travel over mountain passes. Chains or traction tires were required on U.S. Highway 26 over Mount Hood Sunday afternoon and evening, and ODOT's TripCheck warned divers to expect lengthy delays.
