An 82-year-old Redmond woman died at a hospital after a two-vehicle crash on U.S. Highway 97 near the Peter Skene Ogden rest area in Deschutes County on Friday afternoon. Three other people were injured, and the highway was shut down for several hours while crews investigated and cleared the scene. Troopers say multiple agencies responded.
Crash details
According to a preliminary investigation, a northbound Nissan Titan tried to make a left turn into the Peter Skene Ogden rest area and failed to yield to southbound traffic, where it was hit by a southbound Honda Passport, as reported by KTVZ. The Nissan was driven by 64-year-old Thomas Dwayne Dooms of Redmond, and the Honda was driven by 21-year-old Isaias Ishar Abianeda of Madras. Emergency crews closed Highway 97 near milepost 113 while they worked the crash.
Victims and response
A passenger in the Nissan, identified as 82-year-old Mary Lou Dooms of Redmond, was taken to an area hospital with serious injuries and later died there, according to reporting by KOIN. The Nissan's driver was also hospitalized with serious injuries. Two passengers in the Honda, 20-year-old Kristen Farrester of Culver and 25-year-old Christian Luke Pyle of Bend, sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
Why this stretch matters
U.S. 97 has been flagged in local planning documents for a high number of serious collisions. A Deschutes County meeting packet notes the corridor has seen dozens of fatal crashes in recent years, underscoring why enforcement and engineering efforts remain a priority. Local officials and the Oregon Department of Transportation have discussed targeted improvements, and troopers say it remains a stretch where a single mistake can quickly turn deadly.
Investigation
Oregon State Police are leading the investigation and are asking anyone who witnessed the crash or who may have cellphone video to contact their non-emergency line, the agency says. Troopers were assisted at the scene by the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office, Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, Redmond Fire & Rescue, Air Link Ambulance and the Oregon Department of Transportation, according to Oregon State Police.
