Search for suicidal driver prompts Century Drive roadblock

A call to authorities reporting an erratic driver southwest of Bend led to a search for a reportedly suicidal man, a crash and a police roadblock that closed Century Drive for a time Tuesday afternoon, Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies said.

The sheriff’s office was notified shortly after noon of a man driving erratically on Century Drive, near milepost 6, said Lt. Chad Davis. The caller to 911 said the car was all over the road and eventually pulled over. The caller contacted the driver, who reportedly said he was going to kill himself, then drove away, heading west.

A few minutes earlier, Bend police learned from a medical facility that the 29-year-old Bend man, one of their patients, had called their office to report he was in his car and suicidal. They did not know his location, Davis said.

A Bend police officer was able to talk to the man by cellphone and confirm he was suicidal. Deputies began searching the Century Drive area for the man and his car, assisted by Oregon State Police and Bend and Sunriver officers, Davis said.

Around 12:40 p.m., a passing motorist reported spotting a crashed car matching the vehicle description off the 4610 Road, about a half-mile north of Century Drive. It matched the description of the man’s car, a silver 2000 VW Jetta.

Deputies and officers arrived in the area and shut down Century Drive in both directions, later opening it to one lane of traffic with ODOT flaggers for about an hour. A variable message reader board was set up to warn drivers against stopping and picking up a male on the road.

Negotiators contacted the man by phone and confirmed he had crashed his car into a tree and was reportedly injured. Crisis negotiators eventually convinced him to let them approach and treat him.

Deputies and officers responded to the scene, on Forest Road 4610, a half-mile north of Century Drive, and found the man, bringing Bend Fire Department medics to treat him.

He was taken by ambulance to St. Charles Bend with non-life threatening injuries. A police officer hold was placed on the man, Davis said.

NewsChannel 21’s general policy is not to report on suicides or incidents involving suicidal individuals, unless they have an impact on the general public (such as evacuations or road closures) or in other special circumstances.