Fatal Crash – Highway 97 – Klamath County - 03/20/26

KLAMATH COUNTY, Ore. (20 March 2026) – On Tuesday, March 17, 2026, at 7:49 p.m., Oregon State Police responded to a two-vehicle fatal crash on Highway 97 near milepost 236 in Klamath County.

The preliminary investigation indicated a red Dodge Ram pulling a trailer, operated by Sue Anne Evans (76) of Grants Pass, was traveling northbound on Hwy. 97 near Chiloquin when it crossed into the southbound lane for an unknown reason. The Dodge Ram collided head-on with a southbound gray Ford F550 towing a trailer and forklift, operated by Chad Everett Hayes (44) of Walla Walla (WA).

The operator of the Dodge (Evans) was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The operator of the Ford (Hayes) had reported minor injuries and was transported to an area hospital.

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

OSP was assisted by the Oregon Department of Transportation.
 

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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 documenting, investigating, and analyzing complex motor vehicle crashes and crime scenes. They receive specialized training in using 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.