Semi driver struck, killed after stopping rig on Hwy. 97 in Redmond, trying to cross 5 lanes on foot

(Update: Redmond police provide details about fatal crash)

REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) – A semi-truck driver was struck and killed on Highway 97 in Redmond Monday evening after he stopped his rig on the highway shoulder, got out and tried to cross five lanes of travel, police said Tuesday.

Redmond police and Fire & Rescue personnel were dispatched around 7 p.m. to the reported crash on southbound Highway 97, just north of the SW Yew Avenue exit (milepost 124), Lieutenant Jesse Petersen said.

A preliminary investigation found that the pedestrian was the driver of a semi-truck, a 59-year-old Washington state man who had stopped on the highway’s northbound shoulder, the lieutenant said.

“For unknown reasons, the driver got out of the truck and attempted to cross five lanes of travel and was hit in the right lane of southbound traffic by a passenger vehicle,” Petersen said in a news release.

Officers and medics attempted life-saving efforts but were unsuccessful, Petersen said. The driver who hit the pedestrian, a 56-year-old Bend man, remained on the scene and cooperated with the investigation.

There are no crosswalks in that location, the area is not well-illuminated, and the posted speed limit is 50 mph, Petersen explained.

The semi driver's name was not released.

Southbound Highway 97 was closed for about three hours for an investigation, with motorists detoured onto nearby streets. Redmond police were assisted by ODOT Incident Response, Oregon State Police and Bend police, Petersen said.

During the crash investigation, the assisting Bend police officer arrested a driver trying to leave a business for DUII after the driver indicated their intent to drive into the area of the investigation, Petersen said. That driver was booked into the Deschutes County Jail in Bend.

ODOT officials said southbound traffic was detoured onto Odem Medo Road, then Canal Boulevard and Yew Avenue, and advised motorists to expect delays. The lanes reopened around 10 p.m.

"Redmond Police and traffic safety professionals want you and your family to be safe this holiday season and encourage drivers to slow down and drive sober," Petersen said in the news release. "Pedestrians are reminded to wear light-colored or reflective clothing during hours of darkness and utilize marked and lighted crosswalks whenever possible.

"Redmond Police and Oregon Department of Transportation officials also remind commercial motor vehicle drivers not to stop on roadway shoulders or in center medians but for emergencies, and never attempt to cross a highway on foot unless necessary."