Fatal crash closes Highway 26 near Warm Springs for several hours

WARM SPRINGS, Ore. (KTVZ) – A fatal crash Sunday night closed a 13-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 26 near Warm Springs for several hours, ODOT and Oregon State Police reported.

ODOT TripCheck’s first posting, shortly before 8 p.m., spoke of a delay and encouraged drivers to “prepare to slow down or move over for worker safety.”

Shortly after 9 p.m. came word at TripCheck that the highway was closed between mileposts 71 and 84 due to a crash near milepost 83. An ODOT spokesman confirmed that the road reopened around 1 a.m. Monday.

Highway 26 is a key route between Central Oregon and Portland, over Mount Hood.

OSP confirmed that it was a fatal crash and said they would have more information later, after an investigation report is completed and family members notified.

A motorist posted to the Bend subreddit that "I've been stuck here for almost three hours, along with many others."

Track traffic updates at ODOT TripCheck.