Boy, 9, seriously injured in Hwy. 22E crash near Mill City

A 9-year-old boy was seriously injured in a two-car crash on state Highway 22E near Mill City Monday night as he left an SUV that had swerved to avoid a deer and ran into a guardrail, Oregon State Police said.

Troopers and emergency medics responded around 7:35 p.m. to the reported two-vehicle crash on the highway near milepost 27, about three miles west of Mill City, OSP Capt. Tim Fox said Tuesday.

A preliminary investigation found that Brandy Doudna, 42, of Mill City, was driving a 2004 Honda Pilot heading east when she swerved to avoid hitting a deer, Fox said.

The SUV struck the guardrail and stopped perpendicular in the roadway. Fox said she tried to move the vehicle but was unable to.

As the five people in the Pilot were getting out, a Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by a 21-year-old Bend woman, also heading east, struck the SUV, Fox said.

A 9-year-old boy who was getting out of the Pilot was ejected by the impact of the crash. He was taken to an area hospital and later flown by Life Flight helicopter to a Portland hospital with serious injuries..

There were no other injuries in the crash, Fox said, adding that there were three people riding in the Jeep.

An ODOT spokesman said the crash and investigation closed the highway until about 11:15 p.m.