Pedestrian Killed in Motor Vehicle Accident on the Bend Parkway

Bend Police Dept. 

At approximately 12:19 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 21, officers from the Bend Police Department and deputies from the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report that a vehicle had struck a pedestrian in the northbound lanes of the Bend Parkway south of the Empire Avenue exit in Bend. 

Officers arrived and medically assessed the pedestrian, identified as 43-year-old Bend resident Jennifer Bell. Bell suffered fatal injuries due to the impact of the crash.

The original caller was the driver of the involved 2017 black Mazda CX-5, 29-year-old Portland resident Austin Smith. Two additional callers reported seeing the pedestrian standing still in the roadway prior to the collision.

Smith cooperated with the investigation. At this time, investigators have ruled out speed and intoxication as factors in the crash.

Members of the Bend Police crash reconstruction team responded to investigate and process the scene. The northbound lanes of the Bend Parkway were closed between the NE Revere Avenue off-ramp and the NE Empire Avenue off-ramp for approximately four hours. Investigators were assisted by the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office and the Oregon Department of Transportation Incident Response team. We would like to thank them for their assistance.