A police chase that reached speeds of 100 mph and spanned several Oregon counties finally came to an end on Highway 26 near Madras on Sunday afternoon, Oregon State Police say.
According to a news release issued by Oregon State Police, the chase began on Highway 26 in Gresham at about 1:38 p.m. Sunday when 25-year-old Leo James Elliott, of Roy, Utah, attempted to elude police in a Dodge Ram pickup truck. Investigators say the pickup was the suspect vehicle in an earlier hit-and-run crash.
The truck was last seen traveling east from milepost 27 and police disengaged the pursuit, troopers say.
During the next 30 minutes, investigators say, several people called to report reckless, high-speed driving east of Government Camp.
State police say the driver was later spotted on Highway 26 near milepost 74, where officers with the Warm Springs Police Department were investigating an unrelated crash scene.
The driver came into the crash scene at a high rate of speed and rear-ended another vehicle, injuring one person, police say.
Warm Springs police said the pickup then continued eastbound, where officers were able to use spike strips. The pickup eventually crashed near milepost 101 at approximately 2:28 p.m. and the driver was arrested after trying to escape on foot, troopers say.
Elliott suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the crash and was taken by the Warm Springs Fire Department to Mountain View Hospital in Madras for a medical evaluation.
He was later taken to the Jefferson County Jail on charges of driving under the influence of intoxicants, felony attempt to elude in a vehicle, reckless driving and misdemeanor attempt to elude on foot.
Additional charges are pending in Jefferson County, troopers say, and police will contact prosecutors in Wasco, Clackamas and Multnomah counties for consideration of charges.
