Crash in hailstorm S. of Redmond sends 2 to hospital

A Bend man lost control of his SUV in a heavy hailstorm on Highway 97 south of Redmond Wednesday afternoon and struck an oncoming SUV, sending two of three occupants to area hospitals and shutting the road for about an hour, Oregon State Police said.

The crash occurred shortly before 4 p.m. near milepost 128, in the vicinity of 61 st Street south of Redmond, said OSP Lt. Bill Fugate.

Preliminary information indicated a soutbound 2000 Isuzu Rodeo driven by Kenneth Kayija, 28, of Bend, lost control during the hailstorm and struck a northbound 1995 Ford Explorer driven by Arturo Rosas-Ramos, 34, of Redmond, Fugate said.

Kayija’s SUV spun out and was traveling backwards at the time of impact, troopers said, leading to an initial, mistaken report that it was a rear-end crash.

Kayjia was taken by ambulance to St. Charles Bend, where a nursing supervisor said he was treated and released. Redmond fire Capt. Jeff Puller said the “Jaws of Life” were used to cut away the wreckage and remove him from the vehicle.

A male passenger in Rosas-Ramos’ SUV was taken by ambulance to St. Charles Redmond with what Fugate called “potentially serious injuries.” His name has not been released. Troopers said Rosas-Ramos had minor injuries and refused treatment at the scene.

The cause of the crash was under investigation. OSP was assisted by the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, ODOT and Bend Fire and Rescue.

Puller said the crash occurred during a severe thunderstorm that dumped about two inches of hail in the area.

The highway was shut in both directions for about an hour, tying up traffic over a wide area through the evening commute.

A Life Flight helicopter was put on standby but unable to fly to the scene due to storms in the area, initial reports indicated.

It took until 5:30 p.m. to fully reopen Highway 97, and Deschutes County 911 dispatchers said the Old Bend-Redmond Highway remained clogged with motorists seeking to detour around the crash scene.