Sisters woman safe after head-on crash

Robin Buckles of Sisters was recovering at home on Sunday, December 5, after she was involved in a head-on collision on Highway 20 on Friday night.

According to Deschutes County Sheriff's Office reports, Buckles was headed westbound in her 1998 Isuzu Rodeo a little before 9:30 p.m. when a 1995 Pontiac Grand Am driven by George Balzer, 64, of Bend, "failed to obey a traffic control device at Gerking Market Road."

Buckles' Isuzu struck the Pontiac head-on.

Airbags in both vehicles deployed and sheriff's deputies reported that all occupants were wearing seatbelts. That probably saved them all from serious injury. Balzer and his passenger, 70-year-old Beatrice Balzer, were transported to St. Charles Medical Center in Bend and treated for minor injuries.

Balzer was later cited for failing to obey a traffic control device.

Buckles was not transported. According to her husband Scott, she is doing fine.

"She is for the most part fine -- bumped and bruised all over the place as you can imagine and a few little scuffs on her forehead and nose from the airbag deploying in her face," Scott Buckles said.

Traffic on Highway 20 was snarled, with the roadway shut down to a single lane and traffic rerouted to Gerking Market Road, onto Pinehurst and back to Highway 20.