Madras man killed, second seriously injured in three-vehicle crash on Hwy. 97 south of Madras
(Update: OSP IDs victims, releases details of crash)
MADRAS, Ore. (KTVZ) – One Madras man was killed and another was seriously injured in the head-on collision of a minivan and SUV Sunday night on U.S. Highway 97 south of Madras, Oregon State Police said Tuesday.
Troopers responded to a reported three-vehicle crash around 9:40 p.m. Sunday near milepost 102, about seven miles south of Madras.
A preliminary investigation found that Santellano Reynoso, 53, of Madras, was driving a Chrysler Town & Country minivan heading north when he crossed the highway's center line for unknown reasons and first sideswiped a southbound Nissan Rogue driven by a 23-year-old Warm Springs man, damaging the driver’s side of that SUV, troopers said.
The minivan then collided head-on with a southbound Jeep Wrangler driven by Dustin Ferren, 23 of Madras, troopers said.
Reynoso died at the crash scene, OSP said, while Ferren was flown to a hospital with serious injuries. The occupants of the Nissan were not injured, troopers said.
The cause of the crash is under investigation. The highway was closed for 3 ½ hours during the on-scene investigation and ODOT detoured traffic onto state Highway 361 through Culver.
OSP was assisted by the Madras Police Department and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.