Sheriff: ‘Miraculously,’ no one hurt in crash south of Madras that totaled car, pickup

MADRAS, Ore. (KTVZ) – A 16-year-old licensed driver with three passengers failed to stop and yield to oncoming traffic on Highway 26 south of Madras late Friday afternoon, resulting in a collision with a pickup truck. “Miraculously, no one was injured, but both vehicles were totaled,” Jefferson County Sheriff Marc Heckathorn said.

Sheriff’s deputies were called shortly before 5 p.m. to investigate the crash at the intersection of Highway 26 East (the Prineville Highway) and Dover Lane, the sheriff said.

The pickup driver told deputies he tried to brake hard and swerve to avoid the crash, but they collided, sending the car into the ditch and the truck off the road shoulder, Heckathorn said.

“All occupants were wearing their safety belts,” he said in a Facebook posting, “and the vehicles did their job keeping everyone safe.”

 The sheriff’s office was assisted at the crash scene by ODOT, Jefferson County Fire and Jefferson County EMS, Heckathorn said. Both vehicles were towed by Gray’s Towing of Madras.