Fatal Crash – Highway 97 – Jefferson County - 10/26/26

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Ore. (26 Oct. 2026) – On Saturday, October 24, 2026, at approximately 3:03 p.m., Oregon State Police responded to a two-vehicle fatal crash on Highway 97 near milepost 75 in Jefferson County.

The preliminary investigation indicated a gray Honda Civic, operated by Thomas Derrig Jagels (77) of Antelope, was traveling southbound on Highway 97 near Madras when it attempted to turn left into the path of a northbound white Ford Sprinter van, operated by Ronald Lee Jensen (67) of The Dalles. The van was unable to stop or avoid a collision with the Honda.  

The operator of the Honda (Jagels) was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The operator of the Ford (Jensen) was reportedly not injured.

The highway was not impacted during the on-scene investigation.

OSP was assisted by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Jefferson County Fire and EMS, 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.