Crash near La Pine kills Bend man

Published 10:24 am Wednesday, April 12, 2023

Update: Oregon State Police identify man who died in Wednesday crash. 

A man died in a single-vehicle, rollover crash on U.S. Highway 97 in the La Pine area Wednesday morning, authorities say.

Stanley Stephen Smith, 54, of Bend, was driving north on U.S. Highway 97 in a grey Jeep Wrangler when he lost control of the car and swerved off into a ditch, according to a Thursday press release from Oregon State Police.

The car rolled, throwing Smith out and and then pinning him underneath when it stopped, the press release said. Emergency responders arrived and tried to treat Smith, but he died at the scene. 

Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Jason Wall confirmed the fatality on Wednesday. Police say icy roads likely contributed to the crash.

La Pine Firefighters 3387, a labor union, posted on its Facebook page about the fatal crash on Wednesday morning and urged residents to drive slowly and carefully.

Kacey Davey, a spokeswoman with the Oregon Department of Transportation, said crews reported the crash between the Sunriver and Vandevert Road exits around 6:30 a.m. Wednesday.

The crash caused “minor delays” to traffic and closed one lane until about 9:15 a.m., when emergency responders left the scene, Davey said.