Police: Driver hit seven cars before NE Bend crash

(Update: With revised charges, first court appearance)

A driver slammed into at least seven cars parked along a northeast Bend street late Saturday night before crashing into a tree near Ensworth Elementary School and running from the scene, but was soon captured by police, officers said.

Kevin Warren Jackson, 29, of Bend was taken to the Deschutes County Jail and booked early Sunday on initial charges including DUII, reckless driving, methamphetamine possession and seven counts of hit-and-run.

The Deschutes County District Attorney’s Office filed an initial charging document Monday instead charging Jackson with four counts: reckless driving, failure to perform the duties of a driver (hit and run-property damage), cocaine possession and DUII.

Jackson was held at the county jail without bail on a parole violation, records showed. He was arraigned Monday on the initial charges and is due back in court in a week for arraignment on an expected formal indictment.

Residents along the 2200 block of Northeast Daggett Lane said Sunday it appeared Jackson was intentionally crashing into each vehicle to cause as much damage as possible, at times driving off the road and onto the grass.

Police said Jackson got out of his vehicle and took off running toward the Summit Park Apartments, where he was detained, with minor injuries.

“We knew what happened, but we didn’t want to believe it,” said Victor Gamino, who called police to report the crashes. “So we quickly ran out and saw this guy ramming into a bunch of cars and causing a bunch of chaos.”

Barbara Gerig, whose car was damaged, said, “I thought my car was just kind of bumped up — and then I got to the front of it and I saw it, and was like, ‘Holy crap – that’s crazy.’ It was pretty startling.”

Witnesses said they believe there were other people in the car with Jackson, but police said they are not searching for any other suspects at this time.