BEND, Ore. — An 18-year-old Powell Butte man was arrested on a citation after a single-vehicle crash and subsequent car fire shut down Highway 97 near Bend for nearly an hour early Monday morning, according to the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies responded at about 4:21 a.m. Sept. 21 to Highway 97 just south of 61st Street, where authorities said a 1992 Subaru SVX had struck a highway barrier and caught fire.
The Sheriff’s Office identified the driver as Seoan Padraic Mooney of Powell Butte. He was the only person inside the vehicle and was able to get out on his own before the fire spread, deputies said.
Witnesses reported seeing the vehicle speeding in the southbound lanes before the crash, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Bend Fire & Rescue responded to the scene and extinguished the vehicle fire. The crash and emergency response resulted in all lanes of Highway 97 being closed for nearly an hour.
Mooney was taken to St. Charles Bend for treatment of injuries described as non-life-threatening.
The Sheriff’s Office said Mooney was arrested on a citation on suspicion of DUII, reckless driving, reckless endangering and first-degree criminal mischief.
Bend Fire & Rescue, the Oregon Department of Transportation and 911 dispatchers assisted with the response.
