Camp Sherman man killed in Hwy 20 crash near Sisters
A 52-year-old Camp Sherman man was found dead Thursday morning in the wreckage of a car down a steep embankment in the woods off Highway 20 east of Sisters, Oregon State Police said.
It appeared the crash occurred several hours earlier, after one and possibly two hit-and-run crashes involving the same car, troopers said as they sought witnesses to the other collisions or the car’s later travels.
Troopers were dispatched around 8:42 a.m. to a report of a car down an embankment near milepost 5 on the highway, near Cloverdale Road, said OSP Lt. Josh Brooks.
Troopers on the scene said a Yamhill County sheriff’s deputy was on his way home from Bend when he spotted the black 2000 Nissan Maxima on its side, at least 100 feet down a steep embankment, Brooks said.
The deputy climbed down to the car and found the driver, Chris P. Dahl of Camp Sherman, dead beneath it, Brooks said. He was not wearing his seat belt at the time of the crash and was thrown from the car.
Troopers at the scene said the car left the road and went airborne, tumbling end over end. The crash left debris scattered over a wide area down a steep embankment, among trees hundreds of feet off the road.
More investigation indicates Dahl may have been involved in two hit-and-run incidents Wednesday evening, Brooks said.
Around 6:45 p.m., sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of a rear-end hit-and-run crash on Highway 20 in Sisters. A red 2003 Chrysler van driven by Daniel Showen, 26, of Bend, was struck from behind by a Nissan Maxima.
Showen stopped to exchange information with the driver when the car pulled away at high speed, Brooks said. Showen was able to get the other car’s license plate number and called 911 to report the incident.
Deputies responded to search for the car but were unable to find it. Brooks said they are following up on another report of a second car hit by the Maxima just east of Sisters.
Speed is being investigated as a possible factor in the crash, but Brooks said the reasons why the car left the highway are still unclear.
Troopers believe the car was obscured by steep terrain and trees that made it hard to see from the road at night. Brooks said foggy conditions and darkness in the vicinity added to the delay in its discovery.
As sheriff’s deputies and troopers do follow-up interviews with the other drivers, anyone who witnessed either crash in Sisters or might have seen the car later was asked to contact Senior Trooper Terry Miller at the Bend OSP Patrol Office, 5451-388-6213.
We will have a full report tonight on NewsChannel 21 at Five and Six.
Statewide, the number of traffic-crash deaths is up nearly 10 percent this year, to 326 through Monday, compared to 297 through December 8th of last year. The number of fatal crashes also is up 6.2 percent, to 293, ODOT reports.
