One critically hurt in Hwy. 97 work-zone crash S. of Madras

(Updated: Details of crash, one passenger critically injured)

One person was critically injured and others received mostly minor injuries Thursday night in a three-vehicle rear-end crash involving cars stopped at a repaving project work zone on Highway 97 south of Madras, Oregon State Police reported.

Troopers responded around 9 p.m. to the crash near milepost 101, about six miles south of Madras, Sgt. Michael Berland said. Knife River Construction is repaving this stretch of the highway and was active in the work zone at the time of the crash, he said.

A preliminary investigation found that Casandra Monsivais, 23, of Portland, was driving a silver 2006 Saturn Ion south on the highway when, for unknown reasons, she was unable to stop in time before crashing into other veicles stopped waiting for the construction zone to open to southbound traffic, Berland said.

The Saturn rear-ended a silver 2013 Dodge Ram pickup truck driven by Kelty Godby, 27, of Spokane. The impact pushed the Dodge into a 2014 Subaru Crosstrack driven by Timothy Parrish, 57, of Chiloquin, Berland said.

Two passengers in the Saturn, Rachel Reed, 20, of Portland and Hailee Owen, 18, of Gresham, were injured in the crash.

Reed was flown by air ambulance to St. Charles Bend with life-threatening injuries and was listed in critical condition Friday morning. Owen was taken there by ground ambulance with non-life-threatening injuries and was treated and released.

The others in the involved vehicles were treated for minor injuries at the scene and released.

The crash shut the highway for over an hour and it was restricted to one lane of alternating traffic with a pilot car for some time afterward.

OSP was assisted at the scene by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, ODOT, Jefferson County Fire District No. 1 and the Knife River Construction flagging crew, Berland said.