Oregon State Police

After two people died in a car crash along U.S. Highway 97 near Redmond on Saturday evening, two more people crashed at the scene, including one who slammed into a state vehicle while fleeing from a hit-and-run just moments before.

The two people who died were identified as Ghandi Lakshmi Satya Sai Yerramsetti, 23, of Redmond, and Christy Lee Bigelow, 29, of Bend.

Each of the drivers in the following crashes was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of intoxicants. Neither has been charged.

Oregon State Police responded to the first crash at around 7:14 p.m. Saturday on Highway 97 near 61st Street, south of Redmond.

Police say that Yerramsetti was driving a white Ford Econoline van north on the highway and “drove onto the shoulder of the highway for an unknown reason.”

Yerramsetti lost control of the van, crossed the median and crashed into a silver 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee that was heading the opposite direction.

Yerramsetti and Bigelow, who was a passenger in the Grand Cherokee, died at the scene of the crash, police said.

The Jeep driver, Nicholas Loren Husted, 32, was taken to the hospital, which OSP did not identify. His injuries were not life-threatening, police said.

Authorities closed the highway and detoured traffic as they investigated the fatal crash. Then, at around 10:37 p.m., authorities learned about a nearby hit-and-run crash, records show.

About three minutes after the hit-and-run crash, police said, the driver crashed into the ODOT vehicle that was diverting traffic away from the fatalities investigation.

Nicholas Jason Cardone, 33, of Bend, was arrested on suspicion of DUII. He was cited $265 for speeding, according to court records.

The ODOT driver, Matthew Richards, 48, of Redmond, was taken to an undisclosed hospital to be evaluated, but his injuries were not life-threatening, authorities said.

The fourth crash in the sequence occurred around 11 p.m. One car rear-ended another while each was being detoured away from the southbound lane near the scene of the double-fatal crash.

No one was injured, but Lylliane Walczyk, 20, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of intoxicants.