Fatal Crash - Highway 97 - Klamath County - 01/12/26

Klamath County, Ore. (Jan. 12, 2026)- On Friday, January 9, 2026, at 6:20 p.m., Oregon State Police responded to a two-vehicle crash on Highway 97, near milepost 228, in Klamath County.

The preliminary investigation indicated a Ford F-450, operated by Douglas Alan Fordyce (61) of Caldwell (ID), was stopped westbound on Silver Lake Road at the intersection with Highway 97. The Ford attempted to enter the highway and was struck by a southbound Freightliner commercial motor vehicle and trailer, operated by Sebastian Mercado Juarez (29) of Fresno (CA), causing a side impact collision.

The operator of the Ford (Fordyce) was declared deceased at the scene.

The operator of the Freightliner (S. Juarez) and passenger, Christian Mercado Juarez (31) of Fresno (CA), suffered reported minor injuries.

The highway was impacted for approximately two hours during the on-scene investigation. 

OSP was assisted by Chiloquin Fire and Rescue, Chemult Rural Fire District, and ODOT.

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About the Oregon State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit (CRU) 
The Oregon State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit (CRU) is a specialized unit responsible for investigating fatal and critical injury collisions on Oregon’s highways. The team provides expertise in the documentation, investigation, and analysis of complex motor vehicle crashes and crime scenes. They receive specialized training in the use of advanced measuring techniques and small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) for on-scene investigations. The CRU team includes ACTAR accredited collision reconstructionists and technical collision investigators deployed across the state.