California man killed in rollover crash east of Bend

(Update: Driver dies of injuries)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – A 64-year-old California man was killed Friday night when his convertible left Nelson Road east of Bend, rolled several times and caught fire, Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies said.

Deputies were dispatched just before 9:30 p.m. to the reported single-vehicle crash near the intersection of Nelson Road and Nelson Place, south of the Bend Airport, Sergeant Kyle Kalmbach said.

Deputies arrived to find a red 1972 Porsche convertible on fire, about 60 to 70 feet off Nelson Road, having rolled several times, coming to rest upon a rock outcropping, Kalmbach said,

The driver, who was alone in the car, had been thrown from the car during the crash. He was taken to St. Charles Bend with serious injuries. Hours later, the sheriff’s office was notified he had died of his injuries.

The driver’s name was not released, pending family notification.

“Currently, the contributing factors of the crash are unknown,” Kalmbach said in a news release.

Sgt. Shawn Heierman said the man also had a home and registered vehicles in Bend.

The sheriff’s office was assisted at the scene by the Bend police and fire departments. The road was closed for a brief time.