10/29/09

By Rachel Azevedo

A mangled SUV lays off the highway; the driver inside did not survive. Oregon State Police say 62-year-old Phillip Gene Hanley crashed head-on into a semi truck. It happened just before 8:00am Thursday Highway 20 and milepost 68 near Hampton. The semi driver, 25-year-old Bruce Horst, is uninjured.

Cars are at a standstill for hundreds of feet as traffic is blocked in both directions for five hours. Oregon State Police officers investigate the accident in rain and near-freezing temperatures. The cause of the crash hasn't been determined, but drivers point to early morning snow fall and slick roads.

"I was up at 5:00am and it was starting to snow. The highway was covered, then we got freezing rain on top of it. It was slick," said Bruce Kempton.

"The highway was white. Some of it was blowing around, but some was sticking," said John Kopser.

The elevation is about 4,400 feet, and evidence of the snowfall lingered in the brush off the highway. Residents surrounding Hampton, which is roughly halfway between Bend and Burns, say driving out there can be treacherous.

"It's a long stretch from Bend to Burns, and it's a straight stretch; kind of a boring drive. You could fall asleep real easy," said Kopser.

Oregon Department of Transportation says crews put down cinder around problem corners of the highway Thursday morning, but did not plow. It's unknown if weather was a factor in this crash, but locals stress defensive driving in these parts.

"A lot of chains. And the biggest thing is to allow a lot of space between you and the other driver," said Kempton.