Prosecutors weigh charges in fatal hit-and-run crash in Bend

Published 5:30 am Thursday, September 14, 2023

More than 10 months since a Bend man was killed in a hit-and-run crash at a local roundabout, police have completed their investigation and prosecutors are weighing potential criminal charges.

Bend Police have turned over reports and evidence in the case involving the October 2022 death of Walter James Lane, 76.

“We have identified a person we believe was involved in the incident,” said police spokeswoman Sheila Miller.

Prosecutors in the Deschutes County District Attorney’s Office aim to decide by the end of the month whether or not to press charges, District Attorney Steve Gunnels said Tuesday.

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Police recommended to the district attorney’s office a potential charge of failure to perform the duties of the driver, Gunnels said.

Under the law, if a person dies in an incident, that’s a Class B felony. A conviction carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, according to Oregon law.

Gunnels said his office could move forward with this charge, other charges or nothing at all.

Bend Police have not yet made any arrests in the case, Miller said.

“Once the (district attorney) decides whether to file charges, then we’ll move forward,” Miller said.

Lane was struck at around 9:30 p.m. Oct. 27 at the roundabout at Newport Avenue and 14th Street, a bustling corridor on the city’s west side near a hardware store, a gas station, a dental center and more.

Witnesses told police they saw a suspect drag the victim, later identified as Lane, out of the roadway, Bend Police reported at the time.

The suspect fled as witnesses called 911, according to Bend Police. The suspect headed south on 14th Street toward NW Galveston Avenue, then west on Galveston.

Police described the suspect as a white, middle-aged man who stood about 5-feet 10-inches tall with dark hair and a brown beard.

Police later released a still image of what they said was the suspect’s vehicle. Police asked nearby residents or business owners to review any camera footage and provide information to the department.

Miller said Tuesday that she didn’t believe police had video footage of the incident itself.