Driver cited in Redmond rollover crash

A 27-year-old Redmond man escaped serious injury but was cited for reckless driving Friday evening after his car crashed into a utility pole and overturned, breaking the pole and causing lines to fall onto NW Helmholtz Way, Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies said.

The crash at Helmholtz Way and Obsidian Avenue was the first of two rollover crashes on Helmholtz in less than 24 hours.

Around 9:30 on Saturday morning, a small SUV left the road, went down a ditch and flipped onto its side, striking a barbed-wire fence near Helmholtz and Wickiup Avenue, about a mile south of the Friday evening crash. Sheriff’s Sgt. Don Manning said the female driver had to be cut out of the wreckage and was taken to the hospital but had only minor injuries.

Around 5:50 p.m. Friday, deputies responded to the rollover crash in the area of Helmholtz and Obsidian, said sheriff’s Lt. Bryan Husband. Redmond fire-medics also responded to help the driver, Colby Gilleland, who was alone in the gray 1989 Nissan 300 two-door sedan.

Husband said an investigation found that Gilleland was heading north on Helmholtz, approaching a right-hand curve near Obsidian Avenue.

Gilleland was going too fast to negotiate the curve, which caused his car to slide sideways across the road, off the southbound shoulder and into a nearby Century Link telephone pole, Husband said, adding that the car came to a rest on its top.

The broken pole caused phone lines to fall on the road, which was closed for about an hour for removal of the car and wires, the lieutenant said.

Gilleland, who was wearing his seat belt, was treated by medics at the scene and released, Husband said. The Nissan had extensive damage and was towed from the scene.

Alcohol did not appear to be a factor in the crash, Husband said, adding that it’s not known if the crash caused any area residents to lose phone service.