La Pine man jailed after wild Hwy. 97 DUII chase

A La Pine man reported as very drunk and out of control at the La Pine Inn led police on a wild two-mile Highway 97 pursuit Wednesday night, driving into oncoming traffic, pulling a U-turn and hitting a Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office patrol car before police used spike strips and a special maneuver to get him stopped and take the struggling man into custody, officials said.

Deputies were dispatched around 10:40 p.m. to the report of an unwanted subject at the La Pine Inn, where a worker reported the man was highly intoxicated and out of control, Sgt. Don Manning said.

The man, later identified as Lesley Jackson Snyder, 66, of La Pine, had left by the time the deputy arrived, Manning said. But shortly after, he was spotted driving in a reckless manner, almost hitting several stationary objects off the highway, including a local business.

The deputy tried to stop Snyder’s vehicle, but he refused to pull over, driving northbound on Highway 97 at speeds ranging from 25 to 65 mph, Manning said. At one point, he was seen driving into oncoming traffic, forcing one vehicle off the highway to avoid a collision.

After about two miles, Snyder turned around in oncoming traffic, almost hitting a southbound semi, the sergeant said. He also struck a sheriff’s office patrol car assisting in the pursuit.

Oregon State Police twice successfully deployed “stop sticks” (spike strips) during the chase, once when heading north and again heading south. Manning said the pursuit continued due to Snyder’s unsafe, erratic driving and for the safety of the public.

While heading south on the highway, Snyder drove into the oncoming lane several times, nearly causing another head-on collision and running the oncoming vehicle off the road, missing it by a few feet, the sergeant said.

Finally, a sheriff’s deputy was able to safely end the chase by performing a Pursuit Intervention Technique (PIT) maneuver on his car, a tactic in which a police car pulls up beside the fleeing driver and forces it abruptly sideways and to a stop.

Damage to struck Deschutes County deputy patrol car (Photo: DCSO)

Snyder was taken into custody and treated on the scene for minor injuries that occurred because he was non-compliant, Manning said. No deputies or troopers were injured during the incident, he added.

Snyder was taken to the Deschutes County Jail in Bend and booked on numerous charges, including DUII, felony elude in a vehicle, reckless driving, two counts of first-degree criminal mischief, nine counts of reckless endangering, hit and run and third-degree attempted assault. His bail totaled $120,000, pending an initial court appearance Thursday afternoon, jail records showed.

Manning said the sheriff’s office wants to thank OSP and the La Pine Rural Fire District for their assistance.

The investigation is still ongoing, he said, and anyone with information is asked to contact the sheriff’s office at 541-693-6911.