Fatal Klamath County Crash On Highway 97: Cause Under Investigation

KLAMATH COUNTY, Ore. — A fatal two-vehicle car accident on Highway 97 near milepost 249 in Klamath County on Sunday, February 2, led to the death of two people, Winnie Mae Hescock (41) of Klamath Falls and Laurice Lee Foster (41) of Chiloquin.

The Oregon State Police (OSP), Chiloquin Fire and Rescue, and the Oregon Department of Transportation responded to the reports, and police are now investigating the cause.

According to OSP’s preliminary investigation, which affected the highway for about an hour, a green Ford Expedition, driven by Wyonna Elaine Weiser (38) of Chiloquin, was traveling southbound on the highway. It slid sideways into the northbound lane, striking a white Ford F-350 towing a horse trailer.

The F350, driven by Franklin Scott Maricle (31) of Bend, struck the Expedition on the side before stopping, blocking most of the highway.

The Expedition came to rest in the northbound ditch, and two of the Expedition’s passengers, Hescock and Foster,  were pronounced deceased at the scene.

The expedition driver, Weiser, was transported to an area hospital with serious injuries.

The F-350 driver, Maricle, and his passengers, Scott Nile Maricle (58) of Bend and Janelle Marci Maricle (32) of Bend, were not injured. Two F-350 juvenile male passengers, 21 months and 13 months,  were also not injured.