Three injured in head-on crash SE of Prineville

Three people were taken to the hospital with injuries Sunday morning after a head-on collision of two pickup trucks southeast of Prineville that apparently was caused by a teen’s distracted driving, Crook County sheriff’s deputies said.

Deputies and Crook County Fire and Rescue medics responded around 9:35 a.m. to the reported crash on Southeast Juniper Canyon Road near Davis Loop, said sheriff’s Sgt. James Savage.

Deputies found a Ford F-150 pickup blocking Juniper Canyon Road with severe front-end damage, Savage said. The driver, Riley Floyd, 19, of Prineville, was on the ground with serious injuries and was being treated by a motorist who had stopped to render aid. His passenger, Cheyenne Young, 18, of Prineville, still trapped in the wreckage.

The second pickup, a 2008 Ford F-350, was off the west side of the road, also with front-end damage. That driver, Jared Meadows, 33, also of Prineville, was out and walking around when deputies arrived. He had been alone in his vehicle.

Medics cut away the wreckage to remove Young from the F-150 and ambulances transported all three people to St. Charles Prineville.

Both Floyd and Young were reported in good condition at the hospital Sunday afternoon, according to a house supervisor. Savage said Meadows was treated and released.

A dog riding in the F-150 died in the crash, Savage said.

Savage said Floyd was driving north on Juniper Canyon Road when he said he became distracted talking to his girlfriend and his pickup crossed the center line, hitting the other pickup head-on.

Alcohol and speed don’t appear be factors in the crash, the sergeant added.

Oregon State Police and Prineville police assisted in investigating the crash, which closed Juniper Canyon Road for nearly 90 minutes, Savage said.