A La Pine man is dead after crashing his car into the Little Deschutes River Saturday night, according to police.
An off-duty Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office deputy saw a vehicle speeding on Bridge Drive at around 9:30 p.m.
He followed the vehicle after hearing what he thought was a crash.
He found damage to the fence at the end of Bridge Drive, as well as a Ford F-150 lying on its side in the river, according to Sergeant Jayson Janes.
The vehicle caught fire and the deputy was unable to help the driver out.
He tried to throw water on the flames, but was unsuccessful due to the extreme heat.
The driver, identified as 58-year-old Toye Jeffers, eventually died of his injuries.
The off-duty deputy was evaluated for smoke inhalation but was unharmed.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation.
