JACKSON COUNTY, Ore. (Jan. 26, 2026) — A 31-year-old Medford woman was killed early Saturday after her vehicle was struck by a pickup truck while attempting a U-turn on Interstate 5 in Jackson County, according to Oregon State Police.
Troopers responded to the crash at about 3:59 a.m. Jan. 24 near milepost 46. Preliminary investigation found that a southbound Nissan Altima driven by Ana Azuchena Villa-Rodriguez attempted to make a U-turn for reasons that remain under investigation when it was hit by a southbound Dodge Ram 2500 driven by Kenneth George Brito, 50, of Grants Pass.
Villa-Rodriguez was pronounced dead at the scene. Brito was reportedly uninjured.
The crash caused significant impacts to traffic on the interstate for approximately four hours as investigators worked to document the scene and clear the roadway, authorities said. Motorists experienced delays while emergency crews and transportation officials assisted with traffic control and cleanup operations.
The Oregon State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit was called to the scene to conduct the investigation. The specialized team handles fatal and critical injury crashes across the state and is trained in advanced measurement techniques and the use of unmanned aircraft systems to document complex crash scenes. The unit includes nationally accredited collision reconstructionists and technical investigators.
Oregon State Police were assisted at the scene by the Rogue River Fire Department and the Oregon Department of Transportation.
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