16-year-old, 22-year-old killed in head-on crash near Jefferson

MARION COUNTY, Ore. (KPTV) - Two young people were killed in a head-on crash near Jefferson early Wednesday morning, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.

At about 12 a.m., deputies responded to a two-car crash in the 14000 block of Marion Road Northeast, between Jefferson-Marion Road and Marion Hill Road. The sheriff’s office said an investigation indicates a Kia crossed the centerline and collided head-on with a Volkswagen Passat.

Both drivers died at the scene. The sheriff’s office identified them as a 16-year-old girl and 22-year-old Blaik Peruchetti. The teenage girl’s was not released.

Marion Road was closed for several hours while the Marion County CRASH Team was on scene.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

“The loss of two young lives is a tragedy that impacts not only their families and friends, but our entire community. Our hearts go out to all those who knew and loved them during this incredibly difficult time. We ask the community to keep their families in their thoughts as they navigate this unimaginable loss,” the sheriff’s office said in a release.