Two drivers injured, one cited in Hwy. 126 crash

Two pickups collided nearly head-on west of Redmond

REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Two pickup trucks collided nearly head-on Friday on state Highway 126 about five miles west of Redmond, sending both drivers to the hospital, one cited for careless driving, Oregon State Police said.

A white Chevy pickup driven by Eric Howell, 45, of Salem, was westbound at milepost 106 around 12:30 p.m. when the driver drifted completely into the oncoming lane and collided with an eastbound silver Chevy pickup driven by Ralph Sutterfield, 48, of Bend, troopers said.

The pickups collided at highway speeds and both came to rest on the highway shoulder, about 350 feet apart, Redmond Fire Acting Shift Commander Andrew White said.

One driver was able to get out on his own after the crash, but it took Redmond Fire crews about 20 minutes to cut away the wreckage and free the other, pinned driver, White said.

Both drivers were taken to St. Charles Bend with non-life-threatening injuries, OSP reported. Howell was cited for careless driving.

Both AirLink and Life Flight air ambulances were called, but weather conditions including low cloud cover kept them from responding, according to scanner reports.

Deschutes County sheriff's deputies, Redmond Fire and Rescue, ODOT and Abbas Towing assisted at the crash scene.