Sisters teen seriously injured in crash

A Sisters teen was seriously injured Sunday night when her car left Highway 126 and struck a large pine tree east of Sisters, Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies said.

Deputies and Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire Department medics were dispatched shortly before 8 p.m. to the single-vehicle crash on Highway 126 at Bradley Road, said Sgt. Troy Gotchy.

Dispatchers advised responding units that the car had struck a tree, and the driver was injured.

Gabriela Rodriguez, 18, had to be freed from her wrecked car, and a Life Flight helicopter landed on nearby Camp Polk Road to fly her to St. Charles Medical Center-Bend with serious injuries, Gotchy said.

Rodriguez was listed in serious condition Monday morning at the Bend hospital, a spokeswoman said.

An investigation found that Rodriguez was heading west on the highway, toward Sisters, when her car left the road for unknown reasons and struck the large tree near the intersection.

“It does not appear alcohol was a factor in the crash,” Gotchy said in a news release.

Highway 126 was shut down for a short time during the extrication effort and removal of the car from the scene.

Also assisting on the crash were Oregon State Police and ODOT.