THE BULLETIN • SUNDAY, MARCH 14, 2021 A9
Submitted photo/Oregon State Police
Oregon State Police and other agencies investigate a fatal crash Aug. 15 on U.S. Highway 97 north of Terrebonne.
Highway 97
Continued from A1
“As COVID hit, we saw a
very sharp decrease in traffic
on the highway, but we also
saw an increase in the speeds
on the highway,” Ratliff said.
“We see faster drivers more
commonly now.”
About one-third of fatal
crashes on state highways in-
volve a criminal element such
as drunken driving, Ratliff
said. OSP is currently inves-
tigating three criminal fatal
crashes in Central Oregon.
In addition to driving un-
der the influence, OSP troop-
ers have seen more aggressive
driving during the pandemic
that has led to fatal crashes.
“People are frustrated and
that plays out,” Ratliff said. “It’s
easy to tell when someone is
frustrated because that comes
out in their driving.”
The majority of the fatal
crashes along Highway 97 last
year were between Bend and
Redmond and south of La
Pine, areas where traffic has
increased steadily in recent
years.
In the nearly 10 years Ratliff
has worked in the Bend area,
travel between Bend and Red-
mond has matched interstate
traffic in Springfield and La
Grande, where Ratliff previ-
ously worked.
“Even though it is a smaller
city, the traffic volumes that
we get at times can be compa-
rable to some of those larger
areas I’ve worked as well,” Rat-
liff said.
OSP troopers are directed
to enforce the “Fatal 5” factors
in fatal crashes: speed, occu-
pant safety (seatbelt use), lane
safety, impaired driving and
distracted driving.
“As patrol troopers, that’s
what we really try to focus our
priorities on,” Ratliff said.
In an attempt to prevent fatal
crashes, ODOT has completed
several safety improvement
projects through the Highway
97 corridor and has a few more
planned in the coming years.
Mark Barrett, ODOT traffic
manager for the region, said
recent projects include install-
ing rumble strips and warning
signs in specific areas. Future
projects will install barriers be-
tween Bend and Redmond and
south of Sunriver to help pre-
vent head-on crashes.
“Those are all proven high-
way safety countermeasures,”
Barrett said. “They are success-
ful at reducing crashes.”
ODOT also focuses on ed-
ucation campaigns to caution
drivers.
Vanessa Robinson, ODOT
traffic safety coordinator, cre-
ates programs to educate the
public about safe driving prac-
tices to avoid serious crashes.
Robinson oversees statewide
campaigns that include social
media posts and commercials
for TV and radio.
At a local level, Robinson
partners with organizations to
share safe driving messages to
each community in the state.
“We keep having serious and
fatal crashes,” Robinson said. ”I
want to get into as many com-
munities as possible.”
Robinson has seen how the
educational programs have
made a difference. For exam-
ple, certain programs have
gained national attention for
reducing crashes involving
teenage drivers and motorcy-
clists.
“People’s risk taking behav-
iors don’t just go away on their
own,” Robinson said. “But that
doesn’t mean they aren’t open
to messaging that could change
their mind about a specific be-
havior.”
ODOT relies on the engi-
neering projects and educa-
tional campaigns to prevent
fatal crashes, but ultimately
most crashes are due to drivers’
behaviors, Davey said.
That is a fact state troopers
and transportation officials
can’t change.
“There still is this element of
people making their own deci-
sions,” Davey said. “We really are
just trying to combat those pos-
sible poor decisions with these
things as much as we can.”
e e
Reporter: 541-617-7820,
kspurr@bendbulletin.com
U.S. traffic deaths spike in 2020
Pandemic lockdowns
lead to open roads
and reckless driving
BY TOM KRISHER
Associated Press
DETROIT — Pandemic
lockdowns and stay-at-home
orders kept many drivers off
U.S. roads and highways last
year. But those who did ven-
ture out found open lanes that
only invited reckless driving,
leading to a sharp increase in
traffic-crash deaths across the
country.
The nonprofit National
Safety Council estimates in
a report issued earlier this
month that 42,060 people died
in vehicle crashes in 2020, an
8% increase over 2019 and the
first jump in four years.
Plus, the fatality rate per 100
million miles driven spiked
24%, the largest annual per-
centage increase since the
council began collecting data
in 1923.
And even though traffic is
now getting close to pre-coro-
navirus levels, the bad behav-
ior on the roads is continuing,
authorities say.
“It’s kind of terrifying what
were seeing on our roads,”
said Michael Hanson, direc-
tor of the Minnesota Public
Safety Department’s Office of
Traffic Safety. “We’re seeing a
huge increase in the amount of
risk-taking behavior.”
Last year’s deaths were the
most since 2007 when 43,945
people were killed in vehicle
crashes. In addition, the safety
council estimates that 4.8 mil-
lion people were injured in
crashes last year.
Federal data shows that
Americans drove 13% fewer
miles last year, or roughly 2.8
trillion miles, said Ken Kolosh,
the safety council’s manager
of statistics. Yet the number
of deaths rose at an alarming
rate, he said.
“The pandemic appears to
be taking our eyes off the ball
when it comes to traffic safety,”
Kolosh said.
Of the reckless behaviors,
early data from the National
Highway Traffic Safety Ad-
ministration show speed to
be the top factor, Kolosh said.
Also, tests of trauma center
patients involved in traffic
crashes show increased use of
alcohol, marijuana and opiods,
he said.
In Minnesota, traffic vol-
umes fell 60% when stay-home
orders were issued early in the
pandemic last spring.
Hanson said state officials
expected a corresponding
drop in crashes and deaths,
but while crashes declined,
deaths increased.
“Almost immediately, the fa-
tality rate started to go up, and
go up significantly,” Hanson
said, adding that his counter-
parts in other states saw sim-
ilar increases. “It created less
congestion and a lot more lane
space for drivers to use, and
quite honestly, to abuse out
there.”
OBITUARY
Philip John Swee
December 30, 1961 - February 1, 2021
On February 1, 2021, Philip John Swee, of
Redmond, passed away at the age of 59. Phil was
born December 30, 1961 in Tyler, Minnesota. Phil
married Susan Riddell and they had one daughter,
Noelle Chris} ne. For the last 10+ years, Phil was the
owner/operator of Terrebonne Electric, which later
changed its name to Redmond Electric. Phil was
preceded in death by his father, Raymond, his mother,
Bernadine, a brother David and a sister Cheryl. He is
survived by his daughter Noelle Chris} ne, his brother
Robert and his sister Noelle Brigid, in addi} on to a
number of nieces, nephews, great nieces and great
nephews. A Celebra} on of Life is being planned
for June 26, 2021. Details will be made available at
a later date.
“It’s kind of terrifying what
were seeing on our roads.
We’re seeing a huge increase
in the amount of risk-taking
behavior.”
— Michael Hanson,
director of the Minnesota
Public Safety Department’s
Office of Traffic Safety
In late March and early
April, the number of speed-re-
lated fatalities more than dou-
bled over the same period in
2019 in the state, Hanson said.
Last year, Minnesota recorded
395 traffic deaths, up nearly
9% from 364 in 2019.
Drivers also used the empty
roads to drive extreme speeds.
In 2019, the Minnesota State
Patrol’s 600 troopers handed
out tickets to just over 500
drivers for going over 100
mph. That number rose to
1,068 in 2020, Hanson said.
Traveling over 100 mph
makes crashes far more severe,
the safety council said.
The high number of speed-
ing drivers is continuing even
as traffic is starting to return to
pre-pandemic levels, accord-
ing to Hanson.
The safety council is calling
for equitable enforcement of
traffic laws, infrastructure
improvements, mandatory
ignition switch locks for con-
victed drunken drivers, re-
ducing speed limits to match
roadway designs, and laws
banning cellphone use while
driving, among other rec-
ommendations to stem the
deaths.
The council collects fa-
tal crash data from states on
public and private roads. The
numbers released on Thurs-
day are preliminary, but every
year are only slightly different
from the final numbers,
Kolosh said.
OBITUARY
Frances Lorraine Brown
November 16, 1925 - March 7, 2021
Frances
Lorraine
Brown was born in
Portland, Oregon, on
November 16, 1925,
to Morris and Elsie
(Klein) Wilmarth, the
û v h of six children.
Her
parents,
grandparents and
early ancestors were
hardy
pioneers.
Frances graduated
from
Benjamin
Franklin High School in Portland, serving as both
speaker and soloist. She at ended Portland State
University, New York University, City College of New
York, and several community colleges. She studied
voice at the Conservatory of Music in Portland and
privately in New York City.
Her passions were classical music, languages and
learning. Later she discovered the joy of oil pain} ng.
She was an execu} ve and legal secretary for many
years and was involved in Con} nuing Educa} on all
of her life. She at ended and served at the Tumalo
Community Church for many years in mul} ple
capaci} es and was involved in the Auxiliary of
Gideon9s Interna} onal for 20 years locally and as the
state Vice President.
She passed away peacefully in her sleep at home
March 7, 2021 and will be missed by her many family
members and friends, all whom she loved dearly.
A memorial service will be held at a later date.
Dean Guernsey/The Bulletin file
Kaitlyn Carter, an echo tech, leads a chant during a strike March 4 at
St. Charles in Bend.
St. Charles
Continued from A1
The walkout began March
4 and was the first work stop-
page in more than four de-
cades at St. Charles Bend.
More than 100 workers
could be seen each day since
the strike on a picket line out-
side the hospital near Neff
Road and Medical Center
Drive.
Nurses told reporters out-
side the hospital last week
that their jobs had become
more difficult since the med-
ical technicians left the build-
ing. St. Charles said it lim-
ited surgical procedures at
the beginning of the strike
and moved some cases to St.
Charles Redmond.
This is the first contract that
the union has attempted to ne-
gotiate on behalf of the mem-
bers with St. Charles, since it
began representing the mem-
bers in October 2019.
Over the past year, both
Nurses told reporters
outside the hospital last
week that their jobs had
become more difficult
since the medical
technicians left the
building. St. Charles
said it limited surgical
procedures at the
beginning of the strike and
moved some cases to St.
Charles Redmond.
sides met 29 times to resolve
the labor dispute with medi-
cal technicians.
The hospital tried to stop
the strike by filing lawsuits
in state and federal courts. A
federal judge ruled the court
could not halt the strike.
e e
Reporter: 541-617-7820,
kspurr@bendbulletin.com
OBITUARY
Sharron
Lea Allman
November 30, 1931-February 21, 2021
Sharron Lea Quinn Allman was born in a small ranch
house just outside of Big Piney, Wyoming to Fredrick
Francis Quinn and Naomi Celes}al Ray Quinn. She
was a sister to older brother Larry Quinn and three
younger brothers, Jim, Joe, and Charles (CF) Quinn
would soon join the family.
The family lived in various areas in Wyoming and
eventually moved to Culver Oregon in 1946 and
then on to the family home of 160 acres on Litle
Agency Plains outside of Madras. Sharron was
not afraid of a hard day9s work and on the farm
she enjoyed being outside helping her father and
brothers. She atended school in Culver and Madras
and graduated in May 1947 from Madras Union
Hi. She worked several years for Dr. Evan Thomas
before setling into 30 plus years with Jeferson
County School district in the administra}ve oïce.
Aver re}rement Tom and Sharron spent many
years wintering in Arizona and spending summers
in Powell Bute before permanently loca}ng there
in 2009.
Sharron is survived by loving husband of 70 years,
Tom Allman and three daughters and sons- in- law
whom she felt where like her own sons: Debey and
Dave Clark of Colton, OR; Diane and Bob Ringering
of Madras; Darlene Allman and Mark Willard of
Powell Bute; Brothers Jim Quinn of Portland, Joe
Quinn of Terrebonne, Sister in law Nicky Nicholes
of Beaverton and Brother and Sister in Law Bob and
LaVeta Allman of Madras. Grandchildren, Ty Snow
(Nikki) of Mesa, AZ; Tessa Ryan (Micheal Freeman)
of Eagle Creek, OR; Jocelyn Byrne, Santa Fe, NM;
Brian Ringering of Madras; Eric Ringering (oancée,
Sandra Stovall) and 12 great grandkids: Kaylee,
Lily, David, Oliver, Ben, McKenna, Diego, Prestyn,
Daxtyn and three Bonus Girls, Miranda, Jessica, &
Sara and many nieces and nephews.
Her passing was the result of complica}ons of a fall
in November and not covid related.
She is preceded by the passing of her parents
and brothers Larry and CF who were each taken
15 years apart by drunk drivers. Also preceded
by sisters in law Gracie Quinn, Wanda Quinn, Rea
Quinn Hanson, Karen Quinn, and Rachel Allman
Lopeman.
Over the past year, Tom and Sharron have resided at
Brookside Place in Redmond and the family would
like to thank the staf for the loving care provided
them especially in this past year of isola}on.
We three girls thank our Mom and Dad for the
most perfect childhood and upbringing we could
have ever had. You created a home full of love and
support and taught us life skills and values with the
Golden Rule being the most important one. Thank
you both for building that happy yellow house on
the hill. Night, Night Mom.
In lieu of nowers, the family suggests dona}ons
to Mothers Against Drunk Drivers Oregon, PO Box
596, Springoeld, OR 97477.