Central Point residents injured in Highway 97 crash
Sep. 19—A four-vehicle crash south of Redmond Friday claimed the life of a teenager and left four others injured, including occupants of a car driven by a Central Point resident.
The crash on Highway 97 in Deschutes County occurred about 8:15 a.m. Friday, Sept. 16, when a 16-year-old Redmond resident driving southbound in a 2003 Jeep Liberty SUV lost control of her vehicle near milepost 127, south of Redmond, while initiating a lane change, according to a news release issued by Oregon State Police.
The Jeep crossed over into oncoming traffic and struck a 2018 Jeep Renegade SUV headed in the opposite direction with four occupants inside. The impact pushed the Renegade onto the northbound shoulder and caused it to roll multiple times.
The Jeep Liberty also struck a 2012 GMC Yukon driven by Bradly Pearce, 43, of Bend and a 2017 Toyota Camry sedan driven by Amie Gassner, 39, of Central Point with two passengers inside.
The teen driver in the Jeep Liberty was pronounced dead at the scene. Police did not release the juvenile's name.
Inside the Camry, passengers identified as 39-year-old Jamie Richmond and a 12-year-old juvenile were taken to the hospital by ambulance and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Inside the Jeep Renegade, the driver, Araceli Rodriguez Giles, 21, of Bend, and a 16-year-old male juvenile in the SUV were taken to a nearby hospital where they were treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Passengers identified as 23-year-old Brayan Olvera of Bend and Victorina Giles of Bend were not injured.
Pearce, the sole occupant in the GMC Yukon, was uninjured in the crash.
The Deschutes County Sheriff's Office, the Deschutes County Medical Examiner's Office, Oregon Department of Transportation and Redmond Fire and Rescue assisted in the crash response and investigation.
