Pickup truck hits DCSO patrol car near La Pine

(Update: More details on crash, deputy identified)

A Deschutes County sheriff’s deputy was evaluated for minor injuries Thursday morning after the driver of a pickup truck lost control and struck the patrol car on icy Day Road near La Pine, deputies said.

The sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post that the patrol car left the road and struck a power pole after it was hit by the other car around 10:45 a.m.

The other driver was unhurt in the crash, which Oregon State Police is investigating.

Sheriff;s Sgt. William Bailey said the driver of the Dodge Dakota that struck the car driven by Deputy Bryan Morris, 37, likely lost control because of the icy road.

“The vehicle did its job,” Bailey said. “It protected the deputy, even though it was struck by another car and hit a power pole, and I’m told the other vehicle was seriously damaged as well. But thankfully there weren’t any serious injuries, which as we both know, it could have been much worse.

He said the damaged patrol car was being taken to an auto shop.

OSP said the pickup driver, a 27-year-old La Pine man, was not cited.