Fatal Crash Near Klamath Falls Involved 18 Vehicles

The early Monday morning multi-vehicle fatal traffic crash occurred during limited visibility conditions on Highway 97 about six miles north of the Oregon/California border.

Photos of crash scene courtesy: Oregon State Police

(KLAMATH FALLS, Ore.) - Police say a fatal crash near the California border involved at least 18 vehicles. Several drivers who narrowly avoided becoming part of the collision remained on scene. Police say low visibility was the reason for the tragic incident.

The 7:20 AM series of traffic crashes were reported to Klamath County 911 Center in both directions on Highway 97 between milepost 283 and 285.

Lieutenant Gregg Hastings with Oregon State Police says the preliminary investigation identified four separate traffic crashes involving 18 known vehicles, and it is believed there may have been 10 to 12 other vehicles involved in minor crashes that were able to drive from the scene.

"One person was killed and possibly eight others received non-life threatening injuries," Hastings said. "Information indicated that conditions at the time involved significant limited visibility including heavy fog."

Hastings says the fatal traffic crash happened when a northbound commercial truck driven by 64-year old Edwin Mueller of Stonyferd, California, clipped a stopped southbound commercial truck and then stopped in the northbound lane. A northbound truck pulling an unloaded log pole trailer driven by 46-year old Douglas Shellto of Klamath Falls, crashed into the back of the stopped northbound trailer. Two northbound passenger vehicles then crashed into and behind the unloaded pole trailer.

Mr. Sherllito was pronounced dead at the scene. Mueller was not injured.

The two passenger vehicles involved in the crash with the victim's vehicles were a 1998 Cadillac Deville driven by 64-year old Janet Lutz of Macdole, California, and a 1997 GMC Yukon driven by 52-year old Pamela Redding of Dorris, California. The Cadillac had three child passengers ages 4, 6, and 8. The four occupants of the Cadillac were transported to Sky Lakes Medical Center with minor injuries. Redding was not injured. Hastings says they were all wearing seat belts.

He says information related to the other vehicles involved at other crash scenes is not available.

Oregon State Police troopers from the Klamath Falls Area Command and several OSP offices, along with a Bend police officer, responded to the scene to conduct crash reconstruction investigation duties.

The Klamath County Fire District No. 1 and Keno Rural Fire Protection District both responded to the crash along with Oregon State Police, the Klamath County Sheriff's Office and the California Highway Patrol. Mercy Flights responded but was not used to transport patients. The Klamath County Dive Rescue responded to the scene along with the Oregon Highway Department.
Source: Oregon State Police