Three Prineville residents killed in Millican Road crash

(Update: Crook County sheriff IDs three victims)

Three Prineville residents, including the driver’s 2-year-old son, were killed in a collision between a car and a semi-truck Sunday night on George Millican Road south of Prineville, Crook County Sheriff John Gautney said Monday.

Deputies and Oregon State Police responded shortly before 8 p.m. to the reported crash on George Millican Road south of Southeast Reservoir Road, near milepost 17, about 17 miles south of Prineville, Gautney said.

They arrived to find a Les Schwab semi-truck and trailers that had been headed south on the road, with a Toyota Corolla trapped beneath it.

Deputies and troopers at first confirmed two people had died in the Toyota and later determined a child also was killed, sitting in a child safety seat in the back seat, Gautney said.

The sheriff identified the three Monday afternoon as the driver, Joshua Steven Saddler, 29; passenger Mary Beth Gonsalves, 35, and Saddler’s 2-year-old son, Gaberiel Saddler.

Dave’s Towing and Active Towing used a heavy-haul wrecker to lift the truck off the car so it could be removed, he said.

Gautney said the initial investigation indicated the Toyota was heading north on Millican Road and Saddler was attempting to negotiate a curve when he lost control on the wet roadway. The car skidded sideways and struck the front of the truck, ending up beneath it.

The truck driver was not physically injured and is cooperating with the investigation, the sheriff said.

Factors in the crash were under investigation, but Gautney said the roadway was wet and it was raining at the time.

The crash investigation closed Millican Road for several hours south of Reservoir Road to U.S. Highway 20.

The Crook County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by OSP, Crook County Fire & Rescue, Les Schwab Tires, the Crook County Road Department, ODOT and SMAF Environmental.