Driver who tried to pick up G.P. student was a family friend, investigators say

GRANTS PASS, Ore. – A person who was believed to be a stranger trying to pick up a student at a Grants Pass bus stop was later determined to be a family friend.

The Josephine County Sheriff’s Office said at about 7:15 a.m. Tuesday, a man in an SUV offered a ride to a student waiting for the bus in the 2200 block of Hamilton Lane in Grants Pass. The student didn’t get inside the vehicle.

Shortly after the incident, the sheriff’s office was asking for help identifying the driver. However, an update on Thursday stated investigators were able to determine the man was a family friend.

“The student who was offered the ride did not recognize the person who offered a ride and did the right thing by not getting in a vehicle with someone they did not know or recognize,” JCSO said.

The sheriff’s office is no longer seeking the blue Nissan involved in the report.