Police seek help in pedestrian fatality near Madras
Police seeking eye witness information regarding Madras man that was struck and killed on Highway 97 on Saturday, Jan. 10.
Jefferson County, Ore., Jan. 12, 2026 — Oregon State Police are asking for the public’s help as they continue investigating a fatal vehicle-pedestrian crash that occurred Saturday on U.S. Highway 97 in Jefferson County.
The crash occurred between 11:30 and 11:45 a.m. near milepost 101, just south of Madras. According to Oregon State Police, a preliminary investigation found that a silver Ford Explorer, driven by James Edwin Legore, 63, of Sandy, Utah, was parked on the shoulder of the roadway and began merging back into the northbound lanes when it struck a pedestrian.
The pedestrian, identified as Jared Elijah Cooper, 38, of Madras, was declared dead at the scene. Cooper was associated with a gray or aluminum Dodge Grand Caravan that was parked at the crash location.
Legore was not injured, police said.
Investigators are seeking witnesses and any information related to the vehicles involved, including their movements prior to and at the time of the crash. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Highway 97 was impacted for approximately five hours while the crash was investigated.
Anyone with information is asked to contact OSP’s Northern Command Dispatch Center at 800-442-0776 or by dialing *OSP (*677) from a mobile phone and reference case number SP26-010591.
The investigation was assisted by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and the Oregon Department of Transportation.
Prineville man killed on Highway 26
The contact allegedly caused the F-250 to lose control, break through a guardrail and roll down an embankment.
Clackamas County, Ore., Jan. 9, 2026 — A Prineville man was killed Thursday afternoon in a two-vehicle crash on Highway 26 near milepost 35, according to the Oregon State Police.
Troopers said a westbound Ford Escape driven by Jacob Robert Brugman, 29, of Vancouver, Washington, was passing a Ford F-250 driven by Gary James Beebe, 55, of Prineville, in a passing lane when the F-250 reportedly merged into the Escape as it was overtaking. The contact allegedly caused the F-250 to lose control, break through a guardrail and roll down an embankment into trees. The Escape was able to stop after the collision.
Beebe was declared deceased at the scene. Brugman and a passenger, Kassidy Brugman, 27, were reportedly not injured.
The highway was not impacted during the on-scene investigation. Oregon State Police were assisted by the Hoodland Fire Department and the Oregon Department of Transportation.
Semi driven by TD Man hits 21-year-old who was crossing Hwy. 97 in dark near Madras
Local semi-truck driver hits pedestrian at midnight on Jan. 10 after Carson City Man attempts to cross highway in the dark of night.
From Oregon State Police:
Jefferson County, Ore., 9 Jan. 9 2025- On Thursday, January 9, 2025, at 11:59 p.m., Oregon State Police responded to a vehicle versus pedestrian crash on Highway 97, near milepost 85, in Jefferson County.
The preliminary investigation indicated a northbound Kenworth commercial motor vehicle and trailer, operated by Robert Allen Bowman (65) of The Dalles, struck a pedestrian, Keanu Rhune Blumenthal (21) of Carson City (NV), who was crossing the highway.
The pedestrian (Blumenthal) was declared deceased at the scene.
The operator of the Kenworth (Bowman) was not injured.
The highway was impacted for approximately two hours during the on-scene investigation. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
OSP was assisted by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office.
