A California man died and four other people were injured in a head-on crash south of Jordan Valley Saturday afternoon. (Photo courtesy of the Oregon State Police).
JORDAN VALLEY – A U.S. Army veteran who served two tours of duty in Afghanistan was killed and four other people injured in a crash near Jordan Valley Saturday.
Oregon State Police said Victor Dunkelberger, 33, of Rocklin, Calif., died when his 2014 Ford Escape collided head-on by a 2005 Ford Focus operated by Jaila Aguilera-Pinder, 19, of Las Vegas at about 2:45 p.m.
Police said the collision occurred near milepost 97 about 20 miles north of McDermitt when Aguilera-Pinder attempted to pass a commercial vehicle in a no-passing zone.
Police said two passengers riding with Dunkelberger, Ayna Anderson, 27, also from Rocklin, and a juvenile were taken by ambulance to Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise.
Aguilera-Pinder and a passenger, Keilin Alfonso-Vaquero, 25, also of Las Vegas were flown to Saint Alphonsus in Boise.
Police said Monday afternoon that the juvenile had been released from the hospital and that Anderson was undergoing surgery. Aguilera-Pinder and Alfonso-Vaquero were both still in the hospital Monday.
Police said Dunkelberger was on his way home from La Grande where he visited his sister.
The state police were assisted by the Malheur County Sheriff’s Office, Life Flight, Jordan Valley Ambulance, the Oregon Department of Transportation and Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office in Nevada.
Reporter Pat Caldwell: [email protected] or 541-473-3377.