The Fryrear Curve

The Fryrear Curve on Highway 20, between mile- posts 7 and 8 has been a thorn in the sides of Central Electric Co-op, Sisters-Camp Sherman RFPD, the Oregon State Police and Deschutes County Sheriff's Office for many years, due to the wrecks that take place there.

For those of us who live close to the curve it's not uncommon to hear and watch emergency vehicles speeding down the highway, sirens blaring, blue and red lights blazing on their way to another wreck on that infamous curve.

According to an ODOT spokesperson, over the past five years there have been seven crackups there, one of them fatal.

ODOT signs on both sides of the curve do not accurately describe the roadway ahead. When asked about the failure of the signs to describe the upcoming curve, The Nugget was told there are many more curves on Oregon highways far more dangerous than Fryrear Curve. So the highway signs we have are what we get.

My wife and I were right behind Cody Herburger (who makes the best clam chowder in the world at Melvin's in Sisters) when the vehicle he was traveling in was struck by a motorist coming the other way, who failed to negotiate the curve and hit him head-on. When the dust settled, Cody was trapped in his crushed vehicle; the other vehicle was on its back, and bystanders watched helplessly as the poor woman in the car died from her injuries.

We saw the results of another motor vehicle a few months earlier that failed to make the curve and hit an old Suburban head-on that was parked off in the sagebrush with a "For Sale" sign in the windshield. About a month back, another power pole had to be replaced after a motorist failed to negotiate the curve and took it out.

There is also no warning on the highway that Central Street in Sun Mountain is upcoming. Motor vehicles leaving the passing lane going toward Bend are most times at or over the 55- mile-an-hour speed limit. They make life very exciting for anyone living in Sun Mountain trying to get off or on Highway 20 - and you should try making a right turn onto Central Street with a vehicle riding your back bumper.

According to Peter Murphy, spokesperson for ODOT, a major facelift is scheduled for the infamous Fryrear Curve in 2018. In the meantime, please tell any strangers you meet who are planning to travel between Sisters and Bend on Highway 20 to take their foot off the gas pedal as they approach Fryrear Curve, and keep an eye on the other guy coming your way.