Madras man killed in Highway 26 rollover crash

A 37-year-old Madras man was killed Wednesday evening when his SUV drifted across Highway 26 south of Madras, left the road and rolled onto its side, Oregon State Police said.

OSP got a report around 6:30 p.m. of the single-vehicle rollover crash near milepost 6, about six miles south of the Highway 26/97 junction, said Sgt. David Pond.

They arrived to find a 2000 Chevy Blazer on its side. The driver, identified as Donald Vineyard, had been thrown from the SUV and was unresponsive, Pond said. Vineyard was pronounced dead at the scene.

Preliminary information indicated that Vineyard was heading west on the highway when, for an unknown reason, the Blazer drifted across the highway and rolled on the eastbound shoulder.

The investigation is continuing, with more information to be released as available, Pond said.

OSP was assisted by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, ODOT and Jefferson County EMS. The crash and investigation blocked the road briefly, then one lane for an additional period of time.