Hwy. 126 crash near Powell Butte closes road for hours

A two-car collision at Highway 126 and the Powell Butte Highway late Tuesday afternoon sent one driver to the hospital and heavily damaged a Pacific Power pole, causing a road closure and power outage that lasted for several hours.

Oregon State Police said around 4 p.m., the driver of a Ford Taurus, Kevin Santos, 18, of Redmond, failed to yield to an oncoming Ford F-150 pickup while making a left turn from Powell Butte Highway onto westbound Highway 126 west of Powell Butte, resulting in a collision that sent the pickup off the highway and into the power pole.

OSP Lt. Bill Fugate said the pickup driver, Margaret Anders, 56, of Prineville, was taken by ambulance to St. Charles Prineville for evaluation and her passenger was unhurt, Fugate said.

The crash left the power pole heavily damaged and lowered lines across the roadway, prompting a closure of Highway 126 that ODOT said lasted around five hours.

Fugate said enforcement action is possible against Santos.

Pacific Power spokesman Tom Gauntt said the crash initially cut power to about 300 customers in the area, a number dropped to 135 through isolation of service areas.

Repair crews didn’t have the pole replaced and in service until about 12:20 a.m., Gauntt said.

Gaunt said the location made for a lengthy repair, as the initial responder had to get through the backed-up traffic and take some immediate steps, then order a new pole and equipment.

“It took longer than expected, but it was not an easy place to get to and work on,” he said.

NewsChannel 21 heard from several travelers who took an extra hour to even three hours to get home due to the closure of the key road connecting Redmond and Prineville.