Two Eagle Point Teens Killed, Two Critically Injured in Highway 140 Crash

JACKSON COUNTY, Ore. — A 17-year-old driver and an 18-year-old passenger were tragically killed early on Saturday morning when their car crashed through a guard rail on Highway 140 in Jackson County,  near milepost 9, and rolled into an adjacent creek after the driver failed to negotiate a curve. Two other teenage passengers also suffered critical injuries in the crash.

Oregon State Police (OSP), who responded to the single vehicle crash on Highway 140 at 3:50 a.m., indicated that a westbound Ford F350, operated by a 17-year-old male of Eagle Point, failed to negotiate a curve and ended up in an adjacent creek.

The driver, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was declared dead at the scene. A passenger, 18-year-old Mitchel Frank Thorpe of Eagle Point, who was also not wearing a seatbelt, was also declared dead at the scene. Impairment and speed are considered the primary factors of the crash.

Two other passengers, a 17-year-old male from Eagle Point and a 17-year-old female, were taken to an area hospital with critical injuries. The highway was closed for about an hour during the on-scene investigation. The investigation is ongoing.