Early morning roll-over car crash in south Bend closed northbound highway lanes for hours
Claire Elmer
(Update: adding video)
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Just before 3 a.m. on Sunday morning, Bend Police responded to a roll-over car crash on Highway 97 near Murphy Road. When first responders arrived, they found the car on fire.
According to witnesses, the single vehicle involved was traveling northbound at about 80 mph on Highway 97 before leaving the road and driving onto an embankment on Murphy Road. The vehicle rolled several times before coming to rest.
Bend Police were able to remove both occupants from the burning vehicle. The driver, a 31-year old man from Portland, was partially ejected and sustained critical injuries. The passenger, a 29-year old Redmond resident, was ejected and sustained injuries; he is in stable condition.
Northbound lanes on Highway 97 were closed for approximately 4.5 hours as officials investigated.
You can read the full statement from Bend Police below:
At approximately 2:53 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 14, Bend Police responded to a report of a motor vehicle crash on the northbound lanes of the Bend Parkway near Murphy Road.
Witnesses reported the vehicle, a blue Volkswagen Passat, was traveling at approximately 80 MPH before driving off the road and onto the embankment near Murphy Road. The vehicle rolled several times, ejecting the passenger and partially ejecting the driver.
As officers arrived on scene, the vehicle was in flames. Officers pulled the driver from the burning vehicle and both men were transported to St. Charles. The driver, a 31-year-old Portland resident, was critically injured. The passenger, a 29-year-old Redmond resident, was injured but in stable condition.
The northbound lanes of the Parkway were shut down for approximately 4.5 hours as traffic reconstruction team members investigated the scene.
This is an ongoing investigation. Bend Police would like to thank the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office and the Oregon Department of Transportation for their assistance on this incident.