Calif. couple recovering from Hwy. 20 crash near Sisters

Thanks in part to the efforts of an Oregon State Police trooper and an off-duty paramedic, a California couple was recovering at a Bend hospital Sunday, two days after their car left Highway 20 west of Sisters and crashed into a tree, authorities said.

Around 10:20 a.m. Friday, an OSP trooper parked along the highway near milepost 98 saw the crash occur a short distance away, said OSP Capt. Bill Fugate.

The trooper and an off-duty paramedic arrived on scene about the same time and found the driver not breathing, with no pulse, Fugate said.

The pair freed the driver, later identified as Dana Niehaus, 66, of Santa Cruz, California, and began performing CPR, Fugate said. They did so for about 10 minutes until Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire medics arrived, took over the resuscitation efforts and brought Niehaus to St. Charles Bend.

His wife, Jeannine Niehaus, also 66, was freed from the wreckage and also taken to the Bend hospital, where a house supervisor said both were in good condition Sunday.

A preliminary investigation found Dana Niehaus was driving a 2008 Audi sedan heading west on the highway when it drifted off the road and struck a large tree. It’s believed he had suffered a medical issue and lost consciousness, Fugate said.

Others assisting at the crash scene included the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, ODOT and Black Butte Police Department.