Arizona woman killed, husband seriously injured in Hwy. 97 crash N. of Chemult

(Update: OSP releases names, details of crash)

OSP: Truck driver was braking for traffic when trailer slid into oncoming lane

CHEMULT, Ore. (KTVZ) -- A 65-year-old Arizona woman was killed and her husband was seriously injured Monday when a semi-truck driver braked for traffic on icy U.S. Highway 97 north of Chemult and the trailer slid into the oncoming lane and smashed into their SUV, Oregon State Police said.

Troopers from the Bend Area Command and La Pine Outpost responded around 11 a.m. to the reported four-vehicle crash north of Chemult and the state Highway 58 junction in Klamath County, troopers said.

An investigation determined that the driver of the 2020 Freightliner, a 30-year-old California man, was braking for vehicles slowing in front of him when the tractor-trailer slid and crossed into the oncoming lane.

The trailer collided with a 2016 Mercedes SUV driven by a David Goulding, 64, of Anthem, Arizona, accompanied by his wife, Karen Goulding, 65, who died at the scene.

David Goulding was flown by AirLink air ambulance to St. Charles Bend for treatment of life-threatening injuries, troopers said. The truck driver was treated for minor injuries, and no injuries were reported among occupants of two other vehicles involved in the crash.

“Winter weather conditions and speed were a contributing factor in the crash,” OSP said in a news release.

OSP was assisted at the scene by ODOT and Chemult Fire and Rescue.

It was one of several crashes around the region as near-freezing temperatures made for slick, icy roadways.

Due to a lengthy closure, a detour was established at Crescent via the Crescent Cutoff Road and Highway 58.

Another late-morning crash involved two vehicles on Highway 20 just north of Empire Avenue, sending one driver to the hospital, according to those involved. Both southbound lanes were closed for a time, but one reopened before noon and the other a short time later, ODOT reported.

Follow traffic updates at KTVZ.COM's ODOT TripCheck page.