Police chase quickly ends in backyard
JUNCTION CITY — A Junction City man was arrested on Sunday after leading police through a residential neighborhood on a chase that ended when he lost control of his car and crashed through a fence into a private home.
At 1:14 a.m. Sunday morning, Officer Gordon Firth spotted James Eugene Paul Russell, 21, of Springfield, driving a red Toyota Camry and traveling southbound on Tamarack Street near West 12th Avenue. According to reports, Russell was having difficulty keeping his car within the traffic lanes and turned his headlights off approximately 50 feet before parking his car on the shoulder of the road.
Firth pulled up behind him, got out of his patrol car and walked up to the vehicle when Russell began to get out, reports said. Firth greeted Russell, who immediately shut the door and began to start the car. Firth ordered him to stop, but Russell fled the scene, reports said.
Firth pursued Russell through the neighborhood for several blocks. Russell was traveling 45 miles per hour in a residential area and ran a stop sign as he tried to elude Firth, reports said.
Firth decided that continuing the pursuit at such high speeds would be too dangerous and began to back down. Soon after he lost visual with Russell’s car, Firth heard a loud crash and saw debris flung into the air.
Russell had attempted to make a right turn but lost control of his car, entering a driveway at 1508 W. 13th Ave., reports said. The car smashed through a fence into the neighboring property, sideswiped a white Ford F-150 pickup, collided with the side of the garage and the aluminum carport at 1516 W. 13th Ave. and stopped on top of a natural gas meter, reports said.
The force of the crash broke the gas pipe, and the pressurized natural gas began to erupt out of the pipe with a loud whistling noise, reports said.
Russell was attempting to get out of the vehicle when Firth ran up and attempted to pull Russell from the car, reports said. Russell refused the order, and Firth pulled his Taser out, only to immediately recognize the danger with the gas leak, according to the reports.
Firth holstered his Taser, and Russell complied with Firth’s orders. Firth decided not to handcuff Russell there, due to the gas leak, and escorted Russell back to the patrol car parked at the adjacent house, reports said.
The commotion woke the residents in the home, who came out to investigate. Firth asked them to leave the area as he notified police dispatch to call NW Natural Gas and the fire department to shut off the connection. Firth also notified the neighbors and asked them to evacuate, as well.
With the situation relatively under control, Firth went back to his patrol car, placed Russell in handcuffs and began to question him, reports said. Sgt. Chuck Salsbury arrived at the scene, allowing Firth to transport Russell back to the Junction City Jail. Russell consented to a breathalyzer test and had a .15 percent blood alcohol content, nearly twice the legal limit in Oregon, reports said.
Russell stated that he had been drinking at the Raven Pub in Junction City and left to take a pillow and blanket to his girlfriend who lived on Tamarack Street, reports said. Russell said that he fled because he was scared and knew he would be going back to jail, reports said. Russell is supposed to be serving time for a DUII collision earlier this year and had his license suspended for failing a breath test.
The next morning, Linda Russell called police and notified them that Russell had taken the car without her permission. The car is registered in Linda Russell’s name, and she wanted to press charges against her grandson for taking it without her permission, reports said.
Although Russell did not have the keys, his father said that the car could be started with any key or screwdriver, reports said.
Russell was charged with driving under the influence of intoxicants, attempting to flee and elude an officer and driving with a suspended license, reports said. He was also cited for reckless driving, failing to maintain a single lane, driving without insurance and unauthorized use of a vehicle.