Coos Bay woman killed, Bend driver hurt in icy Highway 97 crash
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. (KTVZ) — A Coos Bay woman was killed and a Bend woman hospitalized after a three-vehicle crash on an icy stretch of Highway 97 in Klamath County Sunday morning.
Troopers said 47-year-old Kristara Leah Lopez of Coos Bay died at the scene after her northbound black Toyota Tacoma was struck head-on by a southbound Chevrolet Silverado that lost control on ice near milepost 181 around 9:55 a.m.
The Silverado’s driver, 59-year-old Cindy Rose Pearce of Bend, crossed into the oncoming lane before hitting Lopez’s pickup and then a Dodge Ram towing a small trailer, according to State Troopers.
Lopez’s passenger, 59-year-old Gilberto Paez Lopez of Coos Bay, was taken to a hospital with serious injuries. Pearce was transported to a hospital with minor injuries, as was the Dodge Ram’s driver, 68-year-old Carl Michael Kelley of Oakridge, and his passenger, 59-year-old Terri Louise Kelley.
Highway 97 was impacted for about five hours while Oregon State Police investigated, with help from the Crescent Fire District and the Oregon Department of Transportation.
