Redmond motorcyclist hits own dog; both killed

A Redmond motorcyclist and his dog were killed late Friday night when his motorcycle struck the dog on a northwest Redmond residential street, police said Saturday.

Redmond police were dispatched around 10:15 p.m. to the area of NW Poplar Avenue and 20 th Court on the single-vehicle crash, said Sgt. Keith Knight.

The reporting parties said the motorcycle rider was unconscious after the collision, Knight said.

Police and fire medics arrived to render aid, but the driver, identified as Theodore R. Rainville, 44, of Redmond, was pronounced dead at the scene.

A preliminary investigation indicates Rainville was operating a Yamaha off-road-style motorcycle on Poplar Avenue when he struck his dog in the roadway.

Rainville, who lives in the area. was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, the sergeant said, adding that the dog also died at the scene.

While the investigation continues, anyone who may have seen or heard anything that could help police was asked to contact them at (541) 504-3400 or the Deschutes County non-emergency dispatch number at (541) 693-6911.

“There could have been people looking out the window or who heard something,” said Sgt. Curtis Chambers, noting that the crash occurred in a residential neighborhood. “If anyone in the area remembers a person or a motorcycle or heard something, we ask them to give us a call.”

Chambers said police also had no initial information about whether drugs or alcohol may have been involved, saying that would await toxicology results that take some time.