Reckless Driver Eluded Officers Twice Before Crashing
On August 21, 2026, a Hood River Officer observed a Dodge Charger traveling WB on I-84 near exit 64 at a high rate of speed. The Officer was on another call so he advised other units of his observations. A short time later, another Officer who was patrolling the downtown area observed a Charger run through a red light and accelerated at a high rate of speed. The Dodge Charger was being driven recklessly and fish-tailing through downtown Hood River at a peak time with patrons throughout the area.
The Officer attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver refused to stop and accelerated onto I-84 heading eastbound at a high rate of speed. Despite the officer having his emergency lights and siren activated, the driver continued to flee. Within seconds, the vehicle was out of the officer’s sight.
The officer continued eastbound into Mosier to determine whether the vehicle had exited the freeway. While traveling eastbound on Highway 30, the officer spotted the same silver Dodge Charger traveling westbound and again attempted a traffic stop. The driver once again refused to stop and eluded the Officer This time heading back toward Hood River.
After an unsuccessful spike strip deployment on I-84, an Oregon State Trooper spotted the Charger in the city limits. The driver again accelerated away at a high rate of speed on Country Club Road. Due to the vehicle’s excessive speed, the trooper lost sight of it.
The trooper eventually located the Charger after it had crashed near the intersection of Country Club Road and Barrett Drive. At approximately the same time, an automated 911 crash notification from the suspect’s personal cell phone alerted Dispatch to the motor vehicle crash.
Hood River Police officers responded to the scene and the driver was located a short distance from the crash. The driver was taken into custody.
The driver was arrested on charges including Reckless Driving, Felony Attempting to Elude a Police Officer, DUII, and Misdemeanor Driving While Suspended.
This incident is another example of how quickly reckless and impaired driving can turn dangerous—not only for the driver, but for everyone sharing our roads.
No innocent motorists or pedestrians were seriously injured. The coordinated response by local and state law enforcement helped end the incident and remove a dangerous driver from the road.
