Medford woman in court on manslaughter, DUII-inhalant charges in crash into e-bike that killed long-time Bend chef

(Update: Adding court video; driver formally charged, arraigned, bail set at $1 million)

MEDFORD, Ore. (KTVZ) – A Medford woman who police said swerved, struck and killed a well-known, long-time Bend chef riding an e-bike in the bike lane on a Medford highway was arraigned Thursday on manslaughter, DUII and other charges, accused of ingesting the inhalant Dust-Off just before the crash.

Jimilee “Jason” Thomas, 41, died at the scene of the Friday afternoon crash on the South Pacific Highway, Lt. Geoff Kirkpatrick said.

Cassie Jane Cavagnaro, 36, pleaded not guilty to three felony and six misdemeanor charges Thursday and Jackson County Circuit Judge Kelly Ravassipour set her bail at $1 million, KOBI reported.

If she were to post 10% bail, the judge set conditions including no use of intoxicants or drugs and submitting to testing. A probable cause preliminary hearing for Cavagnaro was set for Oct. 24.

Just prior to the collision, witnesses had called in to report the driver of a white van was driving erratically, and officers were responding to that report when the vehicle was reported to have drifted out of the lane of travel and struck the bicyclist, Kirkpatrick said.

Police said Cavagnaro did not stop but continued driving into a nearby parking lot, where officers quickly located it and contacted her.

Despite officers' immediate response and attempts at life-saving measures, Thomas was pronounced deceased at the scene by responding medical personnel, the lieutenant said. 

The Serious Traffic Accident Reconstruction (STAR) Team was activated to assist with the investigation. After a lengthy and time-intensive investigation, Kirkpatrick said the team was able to determine that the 36-year-old female driver was believed to have been ingesting an inhalant (Dust-Off) just prior to the accident.

Cavagnaro was lodged at the Jackson County Jail after the crash on a probation violation. On Wednesday, charges were added of first- and second-degree manslaughter, DUII-inhalant, reckless driving, recklessly endangering another person and felony hit-and-run.

“We would like to extend our deepest sympathy and condolences to the friends and family of the deceased,” Kirkpatrick added.

In a statement Monday to NewsChannel 21, Thomas's wife, Nikki Thomas, said, "Jason was an amazing man.  He was my best friend, and one of the nicest people you could ever meet.  His loss is completely devastating.

"I am overwhelmed and appreciative of the outpouring of support from our community.  Jason deserves all of it.  For now, I am hopeful the Medford Police Department investigators can efficiently and completely piece the facts of this tragedy together. There should be accountability for the senseless devastation caused to Jason’s family and me.

"For now, I would ask you to respect my right and need to grieve until we have more answers,” she added.

Police said witnesses saw the vehicle swerving before the crash, KOBI-TV reported. Medford Police Special Services Sergeant Steve Furst said the agency is looking at this as a criminal case.

“Of course, we’ll have to gather all the evidence and do a complete investigation before we release all of our findings," Furst said at the scene. "But right now, we do believe that there was impairment involved with the driver of the vehicle that struck the bicyclist.”

Furst said the vehicle driver was not injured and was cooperating with the investigation, KOBI reported.

"Jason was a beloved husband, son, uncle, nephew, cousin, and friend," his wife, Nikki, told us Sunday. "He put a smile on everyone's face he came in contact with. Always willing to help at the drop of a hat.  He was one of the best chefs there was, and I'll miss his cooking very much."

Nikki Thomas said she met Jason working at the Pine Tavern, where he started in 2005. He’d also been a chef at The Phoenix Restaurant and at Bend Brewing Company.

In a statement to NewsChannel 21, Bend Brewing Company said, "Throughout the years, he has come in and has been a very fun, loving, kind, professional guy, and his wife Nikki would always be with him. You could tell they were a couple really in love. They always had such great energy about them, and it’s heartbreaking."

Thomas's Facebook page shows he also worked as executive chef at Ox and Fin, a sous chef at Bourbon Street Bend and for a time was director of dining services at Cascades of Bend Assisted Living. He also studied at COCC.

The couple had been together for 16 years and married 10 years ago. Jason Thomas turned 41 last Monday.

Nikki Thomas, who grew up in Bend and graduated from Mountain View High School, said her husband was from the Galt/Lodi, California area "and moved to Bend when he was 18 to pursue his dream of working in a kitchen."

She said they still share a home with her mother in Bend, but after she graduated from nursing school in 2018, the couple moved to Reno for four years, then moved into their travel trailer in 2022. Since then, she has been working as a critical-care traveling nurse, most recently under contract in Medford.

Nikki Thomas said her husband rode his e-bike “all the time. I have an e-bike, too, and we have a truck to pull the trailer. He loved riding bikes.”

“He was doing everything right,” she said of her husband. “He had a high-visibility vest. He had a helmet on. He was doing everything he should have been.”

She said her mother and best friend traveled to Medford to help in the aftermath of the tragedy.

Nikki said she and Jason's friends and family have placed an impromptu roadside memorial along the Medford highway where the crash occurred, in Jason's honor, with photos, flowers and a handwritten sign: "Do Not Drive Impaired! You Ruin MORE Lives Than Yours!!"

“It’s going to be a long time before I get my life back together,” Nikki Thomas said.

A co-worker in Medford has started a GoFundMe fundraising page to assist Thomas.