At approximately 7:00 PM on Monday, December 19, 2022, Redmond Police and Fire & Rescue personnel were dispatched to a reported vehicle versus pedestrian crash on southbound Highway 97, just north of the SW Yew Ave exit (MP 124).
Officers and medics attempted live-saving efforts on the pedestrian but were unsuccessful. The vehicle and driver that struck the pedestrian remained on the scene and cooperated with the investigation.
A preliminary investigation has revealed that the pedestrian was the driver of a semi-truck that had stopped on the northbound Highway 97 shoulder. For unknown reasons, the driver got out of the truck and attempted to cross five lanes of travel and was hit in the right lane of southbound traffic by a passenger vehicle. At that location, there are no crosswalks, the area is not well-illuminated, and the posted speed limit is 50 MPH.
Southbound Highway 97 was closed for approximately three hours to conduct a thorough investigation. Redmond Police was assisted at the scene by Oregon Department of Transportation Incident Response, Oregon State Police, and the Bend Police Department.
During the crash investigation, the assisting Bend Police Officer arrested a driver attempting to leave a business for DUII after the driver indicated their intent to drive into the area of the investigation. That person was jailed in Deschutes County’s Adult Jail.
Redmond Police and traffic safety professionals want you and your family to be safe this holiday season and encourage drivers to slow down and drive sober. Pedestrians are reminded to wear light-colored or reflective clothing during hours of darkness and utilize marked and lighted crosswalks whenever possible. Redmond Police and Oregon Department of Transportation officials also remind commercial motor vehicle drivers not to stop on roadway shoulders or in center medians but for emergencies and never attempt to cross a highway on foot unless necessary.
