Fatal Crash - Interstate 5 - Jackson County - 01/26/26

Jackson County, Ore. (Jan. 26, 2026)- On Saturday, January 24, 2026, at 3:59 a.m., Oregon State Police responded to a two-vehicle crash on Interstate 5, near milepost 46, in Jackson County.

The preliminary investigation indicated a southbound Nissan Altima, operated by Ana Azuchena Villa-Rodriguez (31) of Medford, attempted to make a U-turn for unknown reasons and was struck by a southbound Dodge Ram 2500, operated by Kenneth George Brito (50) of Grants Pass. 

The operator of the Nissan (Villa-Rodriguez) was declared deceased at the scene.

The operator of the Dodge (Brito) was reportedly uninjured.

The interstate was impacted for approximately four hours during the on-scene investigation.

OSP was assisted by the Rogue River Fire Department 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.