Hwy. 26 NW of Madras open after multiple-injury crash

A crash with multiple injuries occurred on U.S. Highway 26 about seven miles northwest of Madras Sunday evening, prompting a closure of the highway for more than an hour and partial closure for a longer period, authorities said.

Jefferson County sheriff’s deputies reported on their Facebook page that the crash occurred before 8 p.m. at the top of the grade between Madras and Warm Springs. ODOT’s TripCheck said it occurred near milepost 110.

An AirLink helicopter was dispatched, and deputies urged motorists to avoid the area if possible.

Before 9:30 p.m., the sheriff’s office posted a Facebook update stating that all injured persons had been taken to the hospital by helicopter or ground ambulances. They said a few minutes later that one lane had reopened, with flaggers letting traffic through in alternating directions. There are two southbound lanes and one northbound lane in the area, according to ODOT.

Oregon State Police is the lead agency, they said, as the crash occurred on the state highway. OSP was reconstructing the crash and ODOT was setting up a partial detour.

The highway was fully open later Sunday night. We’ll have more information as it’s released.