9-month-old infant killed in Hwy. 97 crash near Culver

(Updating: Adding GoFundMe page link)

A 9-month-old baby was killed and a Culver man was injured when he turned left into the path of a sign company truck late Friday afternoon on Highway 97 north of Terrebonne, Oregon State Police reported.

OSP and Jefferson County emergency person responded shortly before 5 p.m. to the crash on Highway 97 near milepost 105 and the intersection with state Highway 361, also called the Culver Highway, said OSP Sgt. Yvette Shephard.

An initial investigation found that Brandon Payne, 23, of Culver, was heading north in a white 2012 Ford Escape when he tried to make a left turn onto the Culver Highway, Shephard said.

The Escape turned into the path of a southbound 2015 Ford F750 driven by Douglas Dean Jr., 41, of Redmond, for Carlson Signs. Dean tried to avoid the car but struck it on the passenger side, causing it to roll onto its side, the sergeant said.

The 9-month-old passenger in the Ford Escape suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene, despite life-saving efforts by medics, Shephard said.

Payne was taken by Life Flight air ambulance to St. Charles Redmond and later transfered to St. Charles Bend, where a house supervisor said he was in fair condition Saturday. Dean Jr. was not injured in the crash.

Seat belts were being used, the trooper said, and “alcohol is determined to be a contributing factor” in the crash.

OSP was assisted by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Jefferson County EMS, Life Flight and ODOT.

A GoFundMe page to assist the child’s family with funeral expenses has been set up at: https://www.gofundme.com/42nomow