A 16-year-old crashed a stolen car into a utility pole near the Merlo Road MAX station in Beaverton on Thursday morning, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office said.
A deputy spotted the SUV – a silver 2022 Ford Bronco – speeding on Southwest 158th Avenue at about 3 a.m. The deputy “attempted to catch up to the vehicle,” but the Bronco didn’t stop and topped 90 mile per hour. The deputy chose not to pursue the car and lost sight of it, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
The Bronco hit the utility pole shortly thereafter and rolled over at the light-rail station. The deputy arrived moments after the crash and saw a teenager emerge from the car’s driver-side door. The 16-year-old, who police concluded was driving the Bronco, tried to flee on foot, but the deputy detained him.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office referred the case to the county’s juvenile department and the Portland police. (Washington County Sheriff’s Office)
The suspected driver and two other teens – a 15-year-old and a 16-year-old who were passengers in the Bronco – sustained minor injuries in the crash and were taken to a hospital, the sheriff’s office said. A third passenger, another 16-year-old, ran from the scene and was not found.
Deputies soon discovered that the Bronco had been stolen in Portland. The car’s owner “told deputies that they left their keys on a key rack in their home and that someone entered their home and stole their keys and wallet,” according to the sheriff’s office. “The victim stated that their credit card had attempted to be used in multiple locations.”
The sheriff’s office said it has sent the case to the Washington County Juvenile Department and the Portland Police Bureau. It has not released the names of the teenagers.
— The Oregonian/OregonLive; dperry@oregonian.com
