Published 10:59 am Wednesday, October 21, 2026

A Madras man died after a motorist in Prineville struck him at highway speed early Tuesday morning.

According to a Crook County Sheriff’s Office report, the accident was reported on Oct. 20, at 5:06 a.m. A 911 call from the motorist, who was not identified by law enforcement, said a man, later identified as 44-year-old Thomas Sampson, was lying in a field and that the caller did not believe the subject was breathing. Officers from the Prineville Police Department and deputies from the Crook County Sheriff’s Office responded.

The investigation revealed that Sampson was walking south on McKay Creek Road. Authorities said it appeared that he may have been collecting cans on the side of the road when he was struck by a car traveling north on McKay Creek Road.

The motorist was traveling to a logging job site at about 50-55 miles per hour when the collision occurred according to police.…