Wash. man jailed after Hwy. 26 high-speed chase of stolen pickup, Madras crash

Pursuit began on Warm Springs Reservation; driver hits several parked cars

MADRAS, Ore. (KTVZ) – A high-speed pursuit of a stolen pickup on Highway 26 began on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation on Monday and ended in Madras with a crash into several parked cars, a brief chase on foot and the arrest of the driver after he got out and ran, authorities said.

Tribal police were advised around 11:20 a.m. of a 2005 Ford F-350 dually pickup, stolen in Milwaukie,  heading east on the highway through the reservation, Warm Springs Tribal Police Lt. Ron Gregory said.

Warm springs officers spotted the pickup and tried to conduct a traffic stop, but the driver, later identified as a 42-year-old Carson, Washington man, kept going at speeds of 85-100 mph, passing several vehicles, driving into oncoming lanes and speeding through a construction zone near the Museum at Warm Springs, Gregory said.

Jefferson County sheriff’s deputies tried to use spike strips to stop or slow the driver, but were unsuccessful.

As he reached Madras, the pickup driver veered off the west side of Highway 26, into a large open field, Gregory said. Officers lost track of the pickup but spotted it again as it left the field, onto Beech Street, then Cherry Lane.

The pickup entered the parking lot of Double Press Manufacturing, where the driver lost control and crashed into several parked vehicles, Gregory said. Arriving officers found it had heavy front-end damage and smoke coming from the engine compartment.

The driver fled the pickup, prompting a search of the area, Gregory said. Officers spotted the suspect as he ran into a field east of the crash and caught him after a short chase.

The driver was taken to the Jefferson County Jail and lodged on several charges, including car theft, attempting to elude police and reckless driving, Gregory said, adding that he also faces several tribal charges stemming from the pursuit.