Madras man killed in Highway 126 head-on crash
A Madras man was killed and a Prineville man was injured Thursday evening in a head-on crash on Highway 126 three miles west of Redmond, Oregon State Police said.
The crash was reported around 6:30 p.m. near milepost 108, at NW 67th Street, east of the intersection with Cline Falls Highway and the bridge over the Deschutes River.
OSP Lt. Bill Fugate said a 2002 Ford Explorer driven by Justice Collins, 18, of Prineville, was heading east on the highway when it crossed the center line, colliding with an oncoming 2003 Chrysler van driven by Jason Franklin, 41, of Madras.
Franklin was pronounced dead at the scene, Fugate said. Collins was taken to St. Charles Bend, where he was listed in fair condition late Thursday night, according to a house supervisor.
Deschutes County Sheriff Shane Nelson said one car was able to avoid the SUV, but the minivan behind it could not.
The crash investigation closed the highway for about four hours. Sheriff’s deputies were on scene with ODOT crews to help direct traffic.
It was the second fatal head-on crash in Central Oregon in two days. Three people — a Redmond man and a Bend couple — were killed in the collision of a courier van and SUV on U.S. Highway 20E about 26 miles east of Bend, at Millican.
We’ll have more information as it becomes available on NewsChannel 21 and KTVZ.COM.
