Fatal Crash – Highway 126 – Deschutes County - 05/18/26

DESCHUTES COUNTY, Ore. (18 May 2026) – On Sunday, May 17, 2026, at 1:11 p.m., Oregon State Police responded to a two-vehicle fatal crash on Highway 126 near milepost 107 in Deschutes County.

The preliminary investigation indicated a green Chevrolet Silverado, operated by Lee Glenn Bernard (63) of Lebanon, was traveling eastbound on Highway 126 near Redmond when it crossed into the westbound travel lane for an unknown reason. A westbound blue Subaru Outback, operated by Scott Macleod Nicol (77) of Redmond, attempted to avoid the Chevrolet; however, the two vehicles collided head-on.

The operator of the Chevrolet (Bernard) was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The Chevrolet’s passenger, Sandra M. Kronour (66) of Lebanon, was transported to an area hospital with serious injuries.

The operator of the Subaru (Nicol) was transported to an area hospital with serious injuries.

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

OSP was assisted by the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office and 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.