A transient man was arrested Wednesday in Portland after police say he crashed a pickup stolen from Vancouver into an occupied police vehicle, injuring two officers, in Southeast Portland.
Portland Police Bureau east precinct officers were dispatched at 1:42 a.m. to Southeast 119th Avenue and Clinton Street after someone reported a man was slumped over in a blue Ford F-350 pickup, the engine was running and the man was unresponsive, according to an agency news release.
Responding officers said they saw what appeared to be a handgun in the center console and drug paraphernalia nearby.
Officers placed spike strips under the pickup’s tires so the driver could not flee, and then attempted to wake him using sirens, air horns and a loud hailing PA system. They were unsuccessful, however.
The man eventually awoke and noticed police cars behind him. He sped away, south on 119th Avenue, despite several of the pickup’s tires being deflated by the spike strips, police said.
He then drove through a stop sign at Powell Boulevard and crashed head-on into a parked, occupied police vehicle. The two officers inside suffered minor injuries.
The man ran away. Officers set up a perimeter and took him into custody about 20 minutes later.
Jeremiah Lee Prueitt, 42, was booked into the Multnomah County, Ore., Detention Center on suspicion of one count each of unlawful use of a motor vehicle, possession of a stolen motor vehicle, possession of a loaded firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm, felon in possession of a firearm, attempt to elude in a vehicle, interfering with a peace officer, attempt to elude on foot, failure to perform the duty of a driver (hit-and-run) and two counts of reckless driving.
