Boy, 7, killed in head-on crash on icy Highway 97 near Chiloquin
CHILOQUIN, Ore. (KTVZ) – A 7-year-old boy suffered fatal injuries and five other people were injured Wednesday evening when a van driver lost control due to icy conditions on U.S. Highway 97 near Chiloquin and was hit head-on by an oncoming semi-truck, Oregon State Police reported.
OSP and other emergency personnel responded shortly after 5:30 p.m. to the reported crash near milepost 233 in Klamath County, troopers said.
A preliminary investigation found that a 33-year-old San Ysidro, California resident lost control due to icy conditions and the northbound Honda Odyssey crossed into oncoming lanes and was struck head-on by a commercial vehicle driven by a 46-year-old Tulare, California resident.
The van’s driver and four passengers were taken by ambulance to Sky Lakes Medical Center in Klamath Falls, OSP said. A fifth passenger, a 7-year-old boy, also of San Ysidro, sustained fatal injuries.
The truck driver was uninjured in the crash, which restricted Highway 97 to one lane for six hours, OSP said.