A routine long-haul drive down Highway 97 turned into a nightmare for a California trucker when an oncoming SUV pulled directly into his lane during a passing attempt. The head-on collision near milepost 255 in Klamath County, Oregon, killed 27-year-old David Wayne Slone at the scene.
The crash took place around 9:12 p.m. on Sunday, September 20, 2026. Narinder Addr Singh, 33, of Yuba City, California, was driving a Freightliner semi-truck hauling a 53-foot trailer north along the highway.

At the same time, Slone was driving a blue Lincoln Navigator southbound. Investigators say Slone pulled into the northbound lane to pass another southbound vehicle, putting his SUV right in the path of the approaching semi-truck.
With the heavy truck moving at highway speeds, Singh could not stop or pull off the pavement in time to avoid a collision. The Lincoln Navigator struck the front of the Freightliner head-on, crushing the front end of the SUV.
Oregon State Police troopers responded to the crash site shortly after callers alerted dispatchers. Emergency personnel declared Slone dead on site, and troopers noted he was not wearing a seatbelt when the crash happened.
Highway 97 through Klamath County features long, dark spans of two-lane highway where drivers often try to pass slower traffic. State police troopers regularly caution motorists that passing at night without a clear view ahead poses extreme danger.
Officers spent hours at the scene collecting evidence, taking measurements, and clearing the wreckage from the road. The official investigation remains open as troopers complete their final collision report.



