WARM SPRINGS, Ore. — A 39-year-old motorcyclist has died after he struck a large bear on a Central Oregon highway and was ultimately hit by another vehicle.
Oregon State Police says Rhett Larsen, of Bend, died at the scene of Saturday night’s crash on Highway 26 near Warm Springs.
Authorities say Larsen struck the bear, which also died, when it ran onto the highway around 7 p.m. Police say Larsen was thrown from his motorcycle and hit by a Ford SUV driving in the opposite direction.
The SUV driver was flown to a hospital with undisclosed injuries. State police did not immediately return a message Sunday seeking the driver’s condition.
The collision closed the highway for several hours.
