Diana Bunch

Drunk driver arrested, Highway 101 closed for several hours



A Waldport man suffered serious injuries when the car he was driving was stuck head on by another vehicle at around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Kasey Deckard, 36, was originally listed in critical condition following the crash, which occurred in the 4800 block of U.S. Highway 101, near the South Beach Post Office. His condition had been upgraded to serious as of press time on Thursday.

Deckard was driving south in a 1995 Geo Metro when his car was struck by a 2005 Toyota Camry, driven by Diana Lee Bunch, 24, of Newport. According to the Newport Police Department, Bunch was driving north in the southbound lane of travel without her headlights on.

As a result of the crash, Dekard was trapped in his vehicle and had to be extricated by personnel from Newport Fire and Rescue. He was then transported by Pacific West Ambulance to Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital in Newport with major internal injuries and fractured legs, arm and pelvis. He was later taken by Life Flight to Legacy Emanuel Hospital in Portland.

Bunch was reportedly not injured in the crash. During the investigation, officers noticed that she was displaying signs of impairment, and she was subsequently arrested and lodged at the Lincoln County Jail on charges of driving under the influence of intoxicants, reckless driving, reckless endangering and Assault II. Her bail was set at $295,000.

Members of the Lincoln County Major Crash Team were called to the accident scene to conduct an extensive investigation. The major crash team is comprised of members of the Newport, Toledo, and Lincoln City police departments, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, the Lincoln County District Attorney’s Office and the Oregon State Police.

The Oregon Department of Transportation provided traffic control while the investigation was underway. Highway 101 was closed for about two and a half hours.



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