Klamath County, Ore. 21 March 24- On Thursday, March 21, 2024, at 12:20 p.m., Oregon State Police responded to a three-vehicle crash on Hwy-97, near milepost 281, in Klamath County.

The preliminary investigation indicated a southbound Ford Econoline van, operated by Carl Francis Kollmar (44) of Klamath Falls, attempted to turn left into a driveway and entered the path of a northbound Peterbilt commercial motor vehicle, operated by Donny Kart Starr (51) of Turlock (CA). The vehicles collided head-on resulting in the Ford van being pushed backward into a southbound Ford Focus, operated by Kessandra Malan Boyd Zambrano (29) of Haquaim (WA). 

A passenger in the Ford Econoline, Scott Lane Nelson (67) of Klamath Falls, was transported and later declared deceased at a local hospital. The operator of the Ford Econoline (Kollmar) reportedly suffered minor injuries and was transported to a local hospital.

The operator of the Peterbilt (Starr) was reportedly not injured.

The operator of the Ford Focus (Boyd Zambrano) reportedly suffered minor injuries and was transported to a local hospital.

The highway was impacted for approximately one hour during the on-scene investigation. The crash investigation is ongoing.

OSP was assisted by District 1 Fire and ODOT.

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About the Oregon State Police
Oregon State Police (OSP) is a multi-disciplined organization that is charged with protecting the people, wildlife, and natural resources in Oregon. OSP enforces traffic laws on the state’s roadways, investigates and solves crime, conducts postmortem examinations and forensic analysis, and provides background checks, and law enforcement data. The agency regulates gaming and enforces fish, wildlife, and natural resource laws. OSP is comprised of more than 1,400 staff members – including troopers, investigators, and professional staff – who provide a full range of policing and public safety services to Oregon and other law enforcement agencies throughout Oregon.