OSP: Driver in fiery Hwy. 97 crash had medical condition

A La Pine woman whose SUV crossed the center line and struck a semi-truck nearly head-on Thursday afternoon apparently suffered a temporary medical condition that incapacitated her, causing the crash, Oregon State Police said Friday.

Four good Samaritans stopped and managed to free Kathleen Collins, 60, from the burning wreckage moments before the 2010 Chevy Tahoe was consumed by flames, troopers said. The collision closed the highway near Vandevert Road for over an hour and limited it to one lane several hours more.

Around 3:30 p.m., Collins was heading south when it appears she crossed into the oncoming lane about 100 yards south of the Vandevert Road intersection, OSP reported.

Collins was taken by ambulance to St. Charles Bend, where she was listed in fair condition Friday night. The driver of the 2015 Volvo semi and trailer, Harpreet Singh, 30, of Sacramento, was flown by Life Flight helicopter to the Bend hospital, where he was treated for minor injuries and released later in the evening.

While the investigation is continuing, no citations have been issued. Troopers said it appeared Collins suffered a temporary medical condition that incapacitated her, leading to the crash.

The SUV was engulfed in flames after the collision, and others on scene helped get the driver out, troopers said.

Among them was Jen Stone, who shared some dramatic photos with NewsChannel 21.

“We had pulled her out seconds before the car was engulfed,” she said. “We had fire extinguishers to keep the flames at bay long enough to get the door pried open. She was conscious when we got her out … praying for the best for her!”

One lane of the highway reopened shortly before 5 p.m. and flaggers were directing traffic past the scene until the other lane reopened before 7:30 p.m..