On Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023, at approximately 7:14 p.m., Oregon State Police troopers responded to a two-vehicle crash on Highway 97 near milepost 128 south of Redmond.
The preliminary investigation indicated that a white Ford Econoline van was northbound on Highway 97 and drove onto the shoulder of the highway for an unknown reason. The driver lost control of the vehicle and drove across both northbound lanes, the center median, and into the southbound “A” lane. The van collided with a silver 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee that was traveling southbound.
The driver of the van, Ghandi Lakshmi Satya Sai Yerramsetti (23) of Redmond, and the passenger of the Jeep, Christy Lee Bigelow (29) of Bend, both sustained fatal injuries and were pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver of the Jeep, Nicholas Loren Husted (32) of Bend was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
During the crash investigation, Highway 97 was closed and traffic detoured. A suspected impaired driver struck an Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) vehicle that was diverting traffic at 61st Street. The suspect, a 33-year-old Bend man, was arrested for DUII by the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office. The operator of the ODOT vehicle was evaluated at a local hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.
An additional non-injury crash occurred in the southbound lane near the crash scene and a 20-year-old driver was arrested for DUII.
Oregon State Police was assisted by the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, Bend Fire Department, and the Oregon Department of Transportation.
