On Thursday, October 12, 2023, at 7:27 p.m., the Oregon State Police responded to a multi-vehicle crash on Hwy-97, near milepost 118, in Deschutes County. All fatal traffic crashes are tragic. When an entire family is lost, the tragic becomes the horrific. The preliminary investigation indicated a Chevrolet Silverado, operated by Jesse Carl Ross (43) of Corvallis (MT), was northbound when it crossed the center line, sideswiped a southbound Kenworth commercial motor vehicle and trailer, operated by Thiara Onkar Singh (50) of Livingston (CA), and then struck a Toyota Rav4, operated by Gary J Rutledge (57) of Troutdale, head on. The Toyota subsequently caught fire and became fully engulfed. The operator of the Toyota, Gary Rutledge, and passengers- Michelle Jean Windsor Rutledge (53), Kate Rutledge (15), and Ryan Rutledge (17)- were all declared deceased at the scene. All of the deceased were related as immediate family members. The operator of the Chevrolet (Ross) was transported to a local hospital with serious injuries. The operator of the Kenworth (Singh) was not injured. The highway was impacted for approximately 4 hours during the on-scene investigation. The Oregon State Police is working with the district attorney’s office in continuance of the investigation. OSP was assisted by Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, Redmond Fire, Redmond PD, and ODOT. OSP is requesting any witnesses to this crash contact the Oregon State Police at *OSP and reference case SP23326671.
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