Idaho teen arrested after 110 mph I-84 chase, crash
A Boise teen hit speeds topping 110 mph in a pursuit on Interstate 84 in Union County Wednesday afternoon before crashing through a guardrail and into the woods, where the car caught fire and the machete-wielding teen got out, confronted police and ran, Oregon State Police said. He was found, surrendered and was arrested.
OSP troopers from the La Grande Area command spotted and pursued a reckless driver on I-84 two miles west of La Grande around 12:25 p.m., Captain Tim Fox said Thursday.
A preliminary investigation found that a green 1997 Toyota Camry driven by a Boise 17-year-old was heading west on the freeway at a high rate of speed. When troopers tried to pull him over, the teen kept going, topping 110 mph, and the pursuit was terminated for safety reasons, Fox said.
About 20 miles from the initial spot, another trooper initiated a pursuit for the continued reckless driving, for about a mile until the Camry crashed into the guardrail and adjacent woods, the captain said.
The driver got out, armed with a machete, and ran after a brief standoff, Fox said.
Troopers and deputies set up a search perimeter and found the teen. They were able to talk him into dropping the machete and he was taken into custody on charges of reckless driving and felony and misdemeanor elude.
I-84’s right lane was closed for about two hours during the the investigation and due to the car becoming engulfed in flames after the crash, Fox said.
