On a quiet Sunday afternoon, the tranquility of Highway 97 in Klamath County was shattered by a violent collision that claimed two lives and left several others injured. The Oregon State Police reported a two-vehicle crash near milepost 249, involving a Ford Expedition and a Ford F-350 towing a horse trailer. The crash site became a scene of urgent response as emergency services tended to the casualties and investigated the cause of the tragic event.
The Expedition, driven by Wyonna Elaine Weiser, 38, of Chiloquin, lost control and skidded into the oncoming lane, colliding with the northbound F-350 driven by Franklin Scott Maricle, 31, of Bend. The impact caused significant damage to both vehicles, sending the Expedition into a ditch and the F-350 coming to a stop, blocking the highway. This devastating incident resulted in the death of two passengers, Winnie Mae Hescock, 41, of Klamath Falls, and Laurice Lee Foster, 41, of Chiloquin, who were pronounced deceased at the scene, according to the police official reports. Weiser and a passenger, Wauseka Brown Jr., 56, of Chiloquin, suffered serious injuries and were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Maricle, the driver of the F-350, remarkably escaped the crash unharmed. His passengers, Scott Nile Maricle, 58, and Janelle Marci Maricle, 32, both of Bend, as well as two juvenile males aged 21 months and 13 months, also emerged from the incident without injury. Despite the absence of physical harm, the psychological aftereffects of such an event are often immeasurable and overlooked.
The aftermath of the crash left Highway 97 closed for about an hour, as investigators worked alongside Chiloquin Fire and Rescue and the Oregon Department of Transportation. While the dilapidated vehicles were removed and traffic flow eventually returned to normalcy, the impact of the crash resonates with the community’s sense of loss and vulnerability on these roads. The cause of the crash remains under an active investigation, seeking answers in the face of sorrow and chaos left behind.
