Five people, including teen and infant, killed in fiery Hwy. 20 crash west of Vale; 3 killed in Hwy. 126W crash

VALE, Ore. (KTVZ) – Five people, including a teen and 8-month-old girl, were killed in a fiery two-vehicle crash Thursday morning on U.S. Highway 20 west of Vale, Oregon State Police said.

The crash was reported around 8:30 a.m. near milepost 235 in Malheur County, troopers said.

A preliminary investigation found that Lance Lightfoot, 62, of Meridian, Idaho, was heading west in a 2005 Kia Sedona minivan when he left his lane of travel for an unknown reason and crossed into the oncoming lane, colliding with a 2015 Nissan sedan driven by Cecilia Loma, 26, of Carson, California, OSP said.

As a result of the collision, both vehicles caught fire, troopers said, and all five people in the two vehicles died at the scene.

Along with Lightfoot and Loma, that included Erik Ortiz, 26, of Carson, Calif., a 15-year-old boy and an 8-month-old girl.

The highway was closed for about four hours during the crash investigation, OSP was assisted by the Malheur County Sheriff’s Office, Vale Fire & Ambulance and ODOT.

OSP also reported Friday that three people were killed and others injured Wednesday evening in a three vehicle crash on Highway 126W near milepost 30 in Lane County.

An investigation found that Allen Weaver Jr., 51, of Grace, Idaho, was driving a westbound Dodge Challenger when for unknown reasons, he crossed the double-yellow center line and sideswiped a Nissan pickup driven by a Florence resident, pulling a travel trailer. Troopers said Weaver’s car continued out of control in the oncoming lane and struck a Eugene man’s Toyota Tacoma pickup nearly head-on.

Weaver died at the crash scene, OSP said, while the driver and passenger in the Nissan pickup were uninjured.  The driver of the Toyota pickup was seriously injured, as was one of three passengers. The other two passengers, Lacy Taylor, 28, of Eugene, and Michele Taylor, 58, also of Eugene, died at the scene.

The highway was affected for about 4 ½ hours by the crash investigation. OSP was assisted by the Lane Fire Authority and ODOT.