A suspected drunk driver crashed into a Tigard police car while officers were investigating a separate DUII on the side of Highway 217 recently, illustrating the dangers first responders, construction workers and others face along the road.
Just after 2 AM on Friday, August 11th Officer Fink was working a grant-funded safety enforcement in a construction zone on Highway 217 near 99W. He tried stopping a driver who passed him going 106 mph in the 55 mph zone, but the driver kept going for almost 2 miles before stopping near the Denny Road exit. Officer Fink believed the driver was under the influence and Officer Teeny arrived to assist with the traffic stop.
As they were conducting field sobriety tests, a driver crashed into Officer Teeny’s unoccupied patrol car. Neither the woman who was driving or her passenger were seriously hurt. She was arrested by the Beaverton Police Department (due to the location of the crash) on charges of DUII, reckless driving, reckless endangering, reckless endangerment of a highway worker and criminal mischief II.
The original driver stopped by Officer Fink was also later arrested for DUII, reckless driving and recklessly endangering a highway worker.
