Alleged drugged driver caught after chase east of Bend

A crackdown on speeders near a roundabout east of Bend on Wednesday afternoon led to the arrest of an alleged drugged driver who was clocked at 76 mph and refused to pull over, Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies said.

The sheriff’s office was using its Community Action Target Team in the area of the Powell Butte Highway-Neff Road intersection, focusing on speeding vehicles, after area residents contacted deputies complained that drivers were violating the 35 mph zone approaching the roundabout, Sgt. William Bailey said.

Around 3 p.m., a deputy on the team saw a silver 2002 Honda Accord enter the 35 mph zone and clocked the driver, later identified as William Earl Swanson, 40, of Redmond, going 76 mph, Bailey said.

The deputy tried to pull Swanson over, but he refused to stop and the deputy pursued the car east on Alfalfa Market Road to Elk Lane, where the driver turned around and headed back toward Bend, the sergeant said. The top speed reached during the pursuit was 60 mph and there were no injuries, Bailey added.

More deputies and a Bend police officer responded to assist and two sets of spike strips were set up on Alfalfa Market Road.

However, Swanson turned before reaching them onto a dirt road near the intersection of Alfalfa Market and Bend roads. Bailey said Swanson got out to run but surrendered to deputies a short time later.

Swanson was arrested on a felony charge of fleeing or attempting to elude police, reckless driving, DUII-drugs, methamphetamine possession and possession of a Schedule II controlled substance (prescription pills), Bailey said.

“Based on information from deputies’ initial contact with Swanson,” he was taken to St. Charles Bend for examination, the sergeant said in a news release.

Last June, court records show, Swanson was arrested on five counts, including two of fleeing or attempting to elude police, reckless driving, meth possession and offensive littering. An arrest warrant listing $35,000 security was issued in August for Swanson’s failure to appear in court.