N.J. man charged in NE Bend DUII crash that caused outage
A New Jersey man was arrested late Tuesday night on DUII and other charges after his speeding car left Hamby Road in northeast Bend, crashing into a power pole and knocking out power to about 100 homes overnight, authorities said.
Deschutes County 911 got a call shortly before 11 p.m. of a possible crash heard just north of Buckingham Elementary School, said Sgt. Vance Lawrence.
Responding sheriff’s deputies learned Edward Stauder, 57, of Mt. Laurel, New Jersey, had been heading south on Hamby Road at a high rate of speed when he lost control of his 1999 Mercedes Benz E320 and it left the road into a field just north of the school, shearing off a Central Electric Cooperative power pole, Lawrence said.
Bend Fire medics arrived and determined Stauder had very minor injuries and did not require further medical attention, the sergeant said.
Deputies contacted Stauder and arrested him on DUII charges, as well as first-degree criminal mischief (a Class C felony) and reckless driving (a Class A misdemeanor).
Stauder’s blood alcohol content was measured at .16, twice Oregon’s legal limit, Lawrence said.
Stauder was booked into the Deschutes County Jail and conditionally released around 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, a jail officer said.
Oregon State Police assisted and the Deschutes County Road Department closed Hamby Road between Neff Road and Paloma Drive until CEC repair crews could repair the damage. Those affected had their power restored around 6:30 a.m., co-op spokesman Jeff Beaman said.
