Madras PD: DUII driver hit house, then fled

A 23-year-old Madras woman was arrested Monday night on DUII, hit-and-run and other charges, accused of crashing her car into a home and running away, police said.

Police responded around 10:30 p.m. to the 600 block of Southwest Second Street on a report that a Subaru Legacy had crashed into the side of a home and the driver ran away, Detective Sergeant Steve Webb said.

The responding officer learned no one was injured, but found was damage to the car, siding on the home and a boat trailer, Webb said.

Others on the scene provided a description of the suspect, while a neighbor who called 911 reported seeing a woman hiding in the bushes in his backyard and gave police a more detailed description, the sergeant said.

Around the same time, Jefferson County dispatchers got a call about a woman with a child near Hull Street who needed help. Webb said Jefferson County firefighters found the pair on Southwest I Street, near Hull Street, and an officer contacted the woman, identified as Morgan Rowe.

Police determined Rowe lost control of her car, crashing into the home. She fled, went home and took her 4-year-old child from the home. Webb said police confirmed the child was not with her at the time of the crash. He said it’s not known why she took the child from her home.

Police arrested Rowe and took her to the county jail. Webb said her blood-alcohol content was .13%, well above the legal limit of .08.

Rowe remained held Tuesday on charges of DUII (alcohol), reckless driving, reckless endangering and hit-and-run (failure to perform the duties of a driver), with bail totaling $45,000, according to jail records.

KTVZ 2019