Two Bend residents die in Hwy. 97 car-semi crash

(Update: OSP releases names, details)

Two Bend residents died Tuesday afternoon when tried to make a U-turn on U.S. Highway 97 south of Crescent and their car was hit by a semi-truck, Oregon State Police reported.

OSP troopers and emergency personnel responded around 2:15 p.m. to the crash near milepost 188 in northern Klamath County, Captain Tim Fox said.

A preliminary investigation found that a Toyota Yaris driven by Marcia Myers, 56, was heading south when she pulled onto the southbound shoulder, Fox said.

Myers then attempted a U-turn in front of a Freightliner semi driven by a 59-year-old Downey, California man.

The Yaris was struck on the driver’s side, sending it off the highway’s northbound shoulder, Fox said. Myers and her passenger, Larry Myers, 60, died at the scene. The truck driver was unhurt.

The crash investigation closed Highway 97 for about five hours, with a detour in place. OSP was assisted at the scene by Crescent Fire and ODOT, Fox said.