Bend man arrested on DUII, reckless driving charges after SUV crashes, lands in pond near Smith Rock

TERREBONNE, Ore, (KTVZ) – A string of complaints about an SUV on Highway 97 whose driver almost hit several other vehicles Monday afternoon led to the arrest of a 34-year-old Bend man who flipped his vehicle in a crash and landed in a pond near Smith Rock State Park, Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies said.

The sheriff’s office was advised around 3:45 p.m. of the traffic complaints regarding a silver SUV traveling between lanes northbound on Highway 97 near milepost 134, nearly hitting other vehicles “and clearly unable to maintain its own lane of travel,” Sergeant Jason Wall said.

A Community Action Target Team (CATT) deputy spotted the SUV still heading north near milepost 124 and tried to initiate a traffic stop, but law enforcement lost sight of it as the driver continued north toward Terrebonne.

Shortly after 4 p.m., deputies trying to locate the SUV were dispatched to a crash in the 2000 block of Wilcox Avenue near Smith Rock, Wall said. The reporting party advised 911 dispatchers a silver Honda Pilot was in a pond after flipping over during a crash. The caller also said the SUV was not totally submerged, but the driver was unable to get out.

Deputies arrived soon and helped the driver out of the SUV. Wall said it appeared the driver was unhurt, but due to the rollover crash, he was taken to St. Charles Redmond for evaluation and once released, was taken to the county jail and booked on charges of DUII, reckless driving and second-degree criminal mischief.

NewsChannel 21 policy is to not name arrested individuals until and unless formal charges are filed.