Harney County, OR – 71-Year-Old Woman Killed in Highway 78 Crash Near Burns

The crash happened around 4 p.m. on September 5, 2026, on Highway 78  near milepost 36.

Harney County, OR – A 71-year-old Burns woman died Saturday afternoon after a utility terrain vehicle was struck by a Mercedes on Highway 78 in Harney County, according to Oregon State Police.

The crash happened around 4 p.m. on September 5, 2026, on Highway 78  near milepost 36.

OSP said Rae Jean Marie Neumann was driving a yellow Kawasaki Teryx UTV southbound along the highway shoulder when she attempted to cross the roadway to reach a driveway. A southbound silver Mercedes E350 driven by Timothy John Dudzik, 86, of Carefree, Arizona, was unable to avoid the UTV and struck its driver’s side.

The impact caused the Mercedes to leave the roadway onto the northbound shoulder, while Neumann was thrown from the UTV. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Dudzik was reportedly not injured in the collision.

Highway 78 was affected for approximately 30 minutes while authorities investigated the crash and emergency crews worked at the scene.

The crash remains under investigation.