Six people injured in crash on Juniper Canyon Road

An SUV and pickup collided on icy Juniper Canyon Road near Prineville Sunday evening, sending six people to the hospital. They included four juveniles who were not wearing seat belts, which led to one driver being cited, Crook County sheriff’s deputies said.

Deputies were dispatched just after 6 p.m. to Juniper Canyon Road near milepost 1, said Deputy Mitch Madden.

They arrived to find a 1999 Chevy Suburban facing south on the west shoulder of the road, with significant damage and two occupants still inside. Deputies and Crook County Fire and Rescue crews cut the two out of the wreckage.

A 2002 Ford F-250 pickup was facing southwest off the west side of the road, also with significant front-end damage.

An investigation found that Penny Hill, 47, of Prineville, had been heading south at the wheel of the Suburban when she lost control on the ice, Madden said. Her Suburban crossed into the oncoming lane and struck the northbound pickup, driven by Dan Swearingen, 60, of Prineville.

Hill was taken by ambulance to St. Charles Prineville with non-life-threatening injuries, Madden said. Her passengers – including a 14-year-old boy, 12-year-old girl and two 11-year-old girls – also went to the hospital by ambulance, and one of the 11-year-olds later was flown by air ambulance to St. Charles Bend, Madden said, adding that none of the juveniles were wearing seat belts.

Swearingen later was taken to St. Charles Prineville by private car and self-admitted with non-life-threatening injuries, the deputy said.

Hill was contacted at the hospital and issued a citation for not wearing their seat belts. Madden said icy roads were a contributing factor in the crash, which closed Juniper Canyon Road for about an hour.

The sheriff’s office was assisted at the scene by the Prineville Police Department, Oregon State Police and Crook County Fire and Rescue.