La Pine man dies in Huntington Rd. crash

An 81-year-old La Pine man died when his car left Huntington Road and crashed into a tree Thursday evening, Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies said.

County 911 dispatchers got a call around 5:15 p.m. of a car that had crashed into a tree on Huntington Road, just south of Findley Drive, said sheriff’s Sgt. Don Manning.

Sheriff’s deputies and La Pine Fire crews were called out, and despite treatment by the medics, Melvin Leroy Warfield was pronounced dead at the crash scene, Manning said.

An investigation that closed the road for about two hours found that Warfield was heading south when for an unknown reason, his green 1993 Pontiac Grand Am crossed to the east side of the road, then back to the west side, again crossed the east side and left the road, striking a tree head-on, Manning said.

Warfield was alone in the car, the sergeant said, adding that alcohol was not believed to be a factor in the crash, which remains under investigation.

Road and weather conditions also don’t appear to have been a factor, according to Manning. Anyone with information about the crash was urged to contact the sheriff’s office at (541) 693-6911.