MEDFORD, Ore. – Police took a suspect into custody after he allegedly stole a vehicle from a Medford car lot and crashed it after a police pursuit.
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office said at 9:02 Tuesday morning, a World Famous Autos employee reported the theft of a dark blue Chevy Tahoe from the lot. “The vehicle was being warmed up on the lot and somebody jumped in and took it, the suspect,” said Sheriff Nathan Sickler with Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.
The vehicle was later found by another employee, who followed it toward White City while relaying information to police.
At 9:21 a.m., the vehicle was seen by a deputy near Corey Road. Police said the driver of the Tahoe appeared to be involved in a road rage incident with another driver. The deputy tried to contact the suspect, but he drove away toward Crater Lake Avenue at a high rate of speed.
The deputy pursued the Tahoe while another deputy tried to stop it with spike strips near Vilas Road. However, the strips couldn’t be deployed in time.
The suspect then drove the stolen vehicle through the median between Crater Lake Avenue and Crater Lake Highway, where he drove south in the northbound lanes of the highway. At that point, JSCO terminated the pursuit because of the suspect’s “reckless behavior,” police said. They lost sight of the vehicle as it continued toward Medford.
A short time later, the stolen vehicle hit another vehicle at the intersection of Highway 62 and Coker Butte Road. JSCO said both vehicles sustained heavy damage. The suspect and the male driver of the other vehicle were taken to the hospital with unspecified injuries. Their current condition is not known.
OSP will continue to investigate the incident. The name of the suspect has not yet been released.
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