Tow truck driver cited in 3-vehicle crash east of Bend

(Update: Tow truck driver terminated from job)

A tow truck driver was cited for careless driving Tuesday after a three-vehicle crash on Deschutes Market Road that sent all three drivers to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies said.

Deputies and Bend Fire Department medics responded around 1:15 p.m. to the crash on Deschutes Market Road near the intersection with Garcia Road, sheriff’s Sgt. Doug Sullivan said.

An investigation found that Barry O’Mahony, 60, of Bend, was heading north on the road and stopped his SUV to turn left into a driveway, Sullivan said.

At that point, he said, the SUV was struck in the rear by a Ford tow truck owned by Epic Towing and driven by Brittany Anaya, 24, of Bend, who deputies said was in uniform and driving a marked tow truck.

The impact of the rear-end crash sent O’Mahony’s SUV into the path of an oncoming SUV driven by Nicole Bacon, 48, of Redmond.

All three drivers were taken by ambulance to St. Charles Bend with non-life-threatening injuries, Sullivan said. Bacon’s two passengers, a 40-year-old man and 9-year-old boy, were unhurt, he added.

Epic Towing issued a brief statement to NewsChannel 21, saying, “This is an unfortunate accident and we hope everybody’s OK.”

Company owner Brian Hurt told NewsChannel 21 on Wednesday that Anaya, who began working for the firm in early September, has been terminated.