Redmond woman charged with manslaughter, DUII after crash into building that killed Prineville man
Barney Lerten
(Update: Details on court appearance)
PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) — A Redmond woman was arrested on Sunday on manslaughter, DUII and other charges, accused of a fatal crash into a business that killed a Prineville man.
Court records show Ladonna Marie Erickson, 41, was charged Monday by Crook County District Attorney Kari Hathorn with first- and second-degree manslaughter, DUII, reckless driving and recklessly endangering another person. Bail was set at $100,000 when she was arraigned on the charges Tuesday afternoon. Erickson is due for arraignment Friday afternoon on an expected grand jury indictment.
Here’s the news release from Crook County Sheriff’s Lt. Mitch Madden:
On May 25, 2025, at approximately 2:49 p.m., deputies from the Crook County Sheriff’s Office and EMS from Crook County Fire & Rescue were dispatched to multiple reports of an injury motor vehicle crash on NW Lamonta Road near NW Grass Lane in Prineville. Initial reports to 9-1-1 indicated that one vehicle had crashed into a building at this location and that the passenger had been ejected from the vehicle.
Deputies arrived on the scene and located the vehicle and the occupants involved. Deputies immediately began life-saving measures on the male passenger, later identified as Rodney Stephens, 49, of Prineville, and the female driver, later identified as Ladonna Erickson, 41, of Redmond.
Medics arrived on the scene and declared Stephens deceased (next of kin was notified) and transported Erickson to St. Charles Medical Center – Prineville with minor injuries.
The preliminary investigation revealed that Erickson was operating a 2004 Chevy Trailblazer, northbound on NW Lamonta Road just after the corner, and left the northbound lane of travel for unknown reasons, colliding head-on with a building belonging to Fontana Wood Products, causing major damage It appears that Stephens was ejected from the vehicle. The Chevy Trailblazer continued for a short distance after colliding with the building.
Erickson was later contacted and interviewed at St. Charles-Prineville, where she was taken into custody and lodged at the Crook County Jail on the charges of DUII, Reckless Endangering, Reckless Driving, and Manslaughter in the 2nd Degree. The investigation is ongoing.
NW Lamonta Road between NW Gumpert Road and NW Sunset Lane was closed for several hours due to the investigation. It was eventually opened to one lane while waiting for the vehicle to be removed from the scene.
The Crook County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Oregon State Police and the Prineville Police Department, Crook County Road Department, Crook County Fire & Rescue, Whispering Pines Funeral Home, and STAR Towing.
Madden said he had no further information at this time.