ASHLAND, Ore. (Feb. 22, 2026) — Two 17-year-old Ashland High School students were killed and three others injured in a single-vehicle crash early Sunday morning in rural Ashland, authorities said.
Deputies with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office responded at approximately 12:44 a.m. Feb. 22 to a reported crash in the 1350 block of East Nevada Street. Upon arrival, emergency personnel found an Audi A6 that had struck a tree.
The vehicle was occupied by five 17-year-olds. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene, sheriff’s officials said.
Crews from Jackson County Fire District 5 and Ashland Fire & Rescue conducted what officials described as a complex extrication to remove the remaining occupants from the heavily damaged vehicle. The Ashland Police Department assisted with the investigation.
Mercy Flights transported the four surviving occupants to a local hospital with critical injuries. Shortly after arrival, one passenger was pronounced dead. The three remaining teenagers continue to receive care and are listed in stable condition, according to authorities.
The names of the juveniles are being withheld. Officials said the families have been notified.
All five teenagers were students at Ashland High School. The Ashland School District has been notified, and grief counseling resources are being coordinated for students and staff.
“This is a devastating tragedy for our entire community,” Superintendent Joseph Hattrick said in a statement. “As a district, we are committed to surrounding our students, staff, and families with compassion, stability, and care in the days ahead. We will be providing counseling support through local and regional support teams for as long as necessary. We ask our community to hold these families close in your thoughts and to honor their privacy as they navigate this profound loss.”
Principal Francisco Atanes said the loss has deeply affected the school community.
“Our hearts are shattered by this unimaginable loss,” Atanes said. “These students were valued members of our school community, and their absence will be deeply felt in our classrooms, on our campus, and throughout our town. Right now, our focus is on caring for our students, staff, and families as we grieve together and support one another.”
A preliminary investigation indicates the Audi was traveling eastbound on East Nevada Street at a high rate of speed when the driver lost control before a 90-degree curve. The vehicle left the roadway and struck a tree, sustaining catastrophic damage.
The crash remains under investigation by the Serious Traffic Accident Reconstruction Team, a multiagency unit operating through an interagency agreement between the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Medford Police Department, Ashland Police Department and the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office.
Sheriff’s officials extended condolences to the families, friends and the broader Ashland community affected by the crash.
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