DESCHUTES COUNTY, OR - On Friday, December 20, 2024, at 4:12 a.m., Oregon State Police responded to a vehicle versus pedestrian crash on Hwy-97, near milepost 128, in Deschutes County.
The preliminary investigation indicated a northbound Ford Town & Country, operated by Steven Thomas Lakey (54) of Bend, struck a pedestrian, Glenn Curtis Watkins (28) of Bend, who was on the roadway for unknown reasons.
The pedestrian (Watkins) was declared deceased at the scene.
The operator of the Ford (Lakey) was not injured.
The highway was impacted for approximately three hours during the on-scene investigation. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
OSP was assisted by the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office, Redmond Police Department, and ODOT.
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About the Oregon State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit (CRU)
The Oregon State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit (CRU) is a specialized unit responsible for investigating fatal and critical injury collisions on Oregon’s highways. The team provides expertise in the documentation, investigation, and analysis of complex motor vehicle crashes and crime scenes. They receive specialized training in the use of advanced measuring techniques and small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) for on-scene investigations. The CRU team includes ACTAR accredited collision reconstructionists and technical collision investigators deployed across the state.
