Snowy tire tracks, footprints lead to Bend DUII arrest

The drunk driver of a car spinning circles at a northeast Bend intersection early Thursday sped away when police tried to stop him, and the snowfall prompted the officer to stop a pursuit, police said.

But the snow also provided tracks in the snow that led to his abandoned car, and snowy footprints that led a police dog to his location and arrest, officers said.

A Bend officer was on patrol around 1 a.m. when he saw a dark car spinning circles in the intersection of Northeast Eighth Street and Greenwood Avenue, said Lt. Clint Burleigh.

The officer tried to stop the car, but the driver sped away, reaching about 50 mph in a 25 mph zone, Burleigh said. Due to the snowy weather and car’s speed, the officer decided to stop the pursuit.

Due to the fresh snowfall, police were able to track the car to the parking lot of the Les Schwab Tires store at 105 Northeast Franklin Avenue, Burleigh said. But the driver of the 1990 Subaru Legacy had left the car on foot.

Police Officer James Kinsella and his K-9 partner Haras were able to track the suspect toward Northwest Hill Street and Florida Avenue, Burleigh said. Several officers were in the area and the suspect was found at the intersection of Hill and Florida.

The driver, identified as Blake Robert Veit, 28, of Bend, was taken into custody without any further incident and taken to the Deschutes County Jail, where he was lodged on felony attempt to elude (by vehicle), misdemeanor attempt to elude (on foot), DUII and reckless driving.

A jail officer said Veit was booked at 3:18 a.m. and released around 4:30 a.m. to a responsible third party.