Spike strips stop police pursuit in Josephine County

Grants Pass, Ore — A pursuit in Josephine County covers miles, involves both local police and state troopers and only ends after spike strips are deployed.

It was supposed to be a simple traffic stop after a trooper noticed someone driving erratically on Riverbanks Road in Josephine County.

It ended with some extreme measures and tonight the driver is behind bars.

Just before 10pm Wednesday night OSP says a vehicle operated by 43-year-old Alisa Smith drifted into the oncoming lane of traffic, right in front of an Oregon State Trooper.

When the trooper pull tried to pull Smith over she refused to yield and sped off towards grants pass, turning north along Highway 199.

OSP called ahead to police in Grants Pass who deployed spike strips to stop Smith’s vehicle.

“We try to use spike strips any time we can to terminate a pursuit, with pursuits, especially coming into any type of city or residential area we want to stop the pursuit as safely as possible,” said Lt. Jaeff Fitzgerald.

Police say the entire pursuit covered at least six miles before Smith finally stopped her vehicle along Dowell Road in Grants Pass.

Smith was in court today facing charges of felony attempt to elude and driving under the influence.

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Matt Jordan is the Chief Meteorologist for KOBI-TV NBC5. Matt joined the NBC5 weather team in 2014 after a year as a reporter and anchor in Alexandria, Louisiana. His experience with the severe weather of the Deep South and a love of the Pacific Northwest led him to pursue a certification with Mississippi State University as a Broadcast Meteorologist. You can find Matt working in the evenings of NBC5 News at 5, 6 and 11 as well as online. Matt also has a degree in Journalism from the University of Oregon. In addition to being passionate about news and weather, Matt is a BIG Oregon Ducks fan. When not rooting for the Ducks or tracking down the next storm over the Pacific, Matt can be found outdoors in the Oregon wilderness with his wife, his daughter and their dogs Stanley and Gordi.
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