Gary Gerig, 48, was identified as the motorcyclist killed in a head-on collision with a car on state Highway 126 Thursday night.
Oregon State Police said Gerig, a Redmond resident, was heading east about two miles west of Redmond when for unknown reasons he veered into the westbound lane and into the path of a car driven by James Hershberger, 47, of Redmond. Hershberger slowed and moved his car toward the shoulder, but was unable to avoid the collision.
Witnesses told police they had seen sparks coming from Gerig’s motorcycle just before it veered into the oncoming lane.
Gerig was declared dead at the scene. Hershberger and his wife, Melissa Hershberger, 46, suffered minor injuries and were taken to St. Charles Redmond.
Investigators closed the highway for about four hours while investigating the crash.
Also Friday, Bend Police said they were not yet ready to identify a second motorcyclist killed in a Thursday night crash. The motorcyclist died after striking the back of a pickup stopped at the intersection of Northeast 27th Street and U.S. Highway 20.
— From staff reports