Bend man sentenced in Crook Co. DUII, road crew incident

(Update: Adding later plea, assault charge dropped)

A 25-year-old Bend man was arrested on DUII, reckless driving and other charges Wednesday morning, accused of assaulting a Crook County road construction crew who blocked in his car, sheriff’s deputies said.

Sgt. Ryan Seaney said deputies were dispatched around 8:45 a.m. to a report of a possible DUII driver in a construction zone on Reservoir Road near Southeast Cascade Way. While en route, deputies were told the driver had assaulted the construction crew, the sergeant added.

Deputies arrived and found Christopher Imbach, 25, of Bend, on the ground, surrounded by a Crook County Road Department crew, Seaney said.

An investigation determined that Imbach had been stopped in the work zone by the road crew after allegedly “blowing past” a flagger who was stopping traffic, Seaney said.

Reservoir Road was down to one lane of travel, with flaggers at both ends to control alternating traffic through the area. Seaney also said there were several dump trucks and large pieces of construction equipment operating in the work zone at the time.

Witnesses told deputies Imbach, at the wheel of a 2008 Subaru Outback, tried to swerve around road workers who were trying to stop him. The construction crew blocked his car with a truck and other pieces of construction equipment, Seaney said.

Imbach reportedly flicked a marijuana joint at the road crew and threw a water bottle at them.

The construction crew believed Imbach was impaired, Seaney said, and held onto his steering wheel to keep him from driving out from between the vehicles.

The sergeant said Imbach then got out of the car, walked a short distance and attacked one of the Crook County construction workers.

The worker “was able to take Imbach to the ground,” Seaney wrote in a news release, “and other members of the construction crew assisted in pinning Imbach to the ground while waiting for law enforcement to arrive.”

When deputies arrived, Imbach attempted to escape and resist arrest, according to Seaney.

Imbach was arrested and booked into the Crook County Jail on charges of DUII, reckless driving, fourth-degree attempted assault, disorderly conduct and tampering with physical evidence. He remained held Wednesday evening on initial bail of $37,000.

Court records show the assault charges were dropped and Imbach pleaded no contest in November to charges of DUII, recklessly endangering another person and tampering with physical evidence. He was sentenced to 28 days in jail and 18 months probation, with conditions including completing an alcohol treatment program.