Driver charged in La Pine DUII bridge crash that sparked fire

An alleged drunken driver from Klamath Falls escaped injury – but not jail – Wednesday evening when his SUV struck a guardrail and plummeted off a bridge over the Little Deschutes River in La Pine, sparking a fire that spread to surrounding brush, officials said.

Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies and a La Pine Rural Fire District crew were dispatched around 5 p.m. to the reported crash on La Pine State Recreation Road, Sgt. Troy Gotchy said Thursday in a news release. The caller reported a vehicle had hit the bridge and was in the river and on fire.

Deputies arrived to find a 2012 GMC Acadia engulfed in flames, along with surrounding vegetation, Gotchy said. The road was blocked by the damaged guardrail and a large amount of debris. Firefighters quickly put out the blaze.

Gotchy said an investigation determined the driver, Michael Cody Meeker, 37, was heading west on the road and left on the north side, hitting the guardrail and bridge over the river. His SUV then spun 180 degrees, landing in the dry area of the river under the bridge.

Besides the fire, the crash severely damaged the guardrail and pedestrian area of the bridge, along with conduit and wiring belonging to Midstate Electric Cooperative. The SUV was a total loss, Gotchy said.

Meeker was arrested on charges of DUII-alcohol, reckless driving and first-degree criminal mischief. He was booked into the county jail in Bend and released shortly before 5 a.m. Thursday on his own recognizance, pending a Dec. 6 court date, a jail officer said.

Midstate Electric and the county Road Department also responded to the scene. The bridge was determined to be safe and both traffic lanes were reopened around 6:40 p.m. Oregon State Police also assisted at the crash scene, Gotchy said.