Redmond man walks away from Hwy. 126 ravine plunge

(Update: OSP says driver cited for suspended license)

A 29-year-old Redmond man who apparently fell asleep while driving to the first day of a new job in Sisters on Monday morning walked away from a crash in which his car landed upside down, some 50 feet down a steep ravine.

Oregon State Police said Leo Bettelyoun, 29, declined medical assistance after the crash, reported around 11 a.m. on Highway 126 east of Fryrear Road.

He was at the wheel of his wife’s 2007 Toyota Corolla when he drifted off the highway, struck a guardrail and continued some 80 yards before plunging down the steep ravine.

Bettelyoun said he was driving to his new job in Sisters as an automotive mechanic when he felt sleepy — and the next thing he knew, he was upside down in the ravine.

He said he began looking for and found his wedding ring when he noticed he was bleeding, then grabbed some family photos as well, kicked out the window and scrambled out of the car.

His mechanic’s tools were scattered over the bottom of the ravine after the crash, which one first responder said was the worst he’d ever seen.

OSP Captain Tim Fox said Bettelyoun told troopers he was going about 60 mph before the crash, which sent the car into the canyon and caused it to roll an unknown number of times.

Bettelyoun was cited for driving with a suspended license, Fox said.