Wild police chase ends in violent crash in Portland area
Police surround a light blue pickup that crashed Thursday afternoon in the northbound lanes of I-205 in this image taken from an ODOT camera. By KATU Web StaffPORTLAND, Ore. - A police chase of a bank robbery suspect on Interstate 205 turned violent Thursday after the suspect's truck veered into oncoming freeway traffic and struck three vehicles. According to Detective Jim Strovink, a Clackamas County Sheriff's Office spokesman, the incident began after authorities received a report of a robbery at the Sterling Savings Bank at 14638 S.E. Sunnyside Road at 3:04 p.m. At 3:10 p.m., a member of the Clackamas County Inter-agency Task force recognized the suspect's vehicle, an aqua or teal-colored pickup, and started following it. More and more officers joined the pursuit, and it eventually headed south on the interstate. As the truck neared the Southeast Sunnyside Road exit, an Oregon State Police car appeared to bump the truck from behind in order to make it go sideways and stop. Instead, the truck veered across the grassy median into the oncoming traffic lanes, where it sideswiped a mini van, hit a small car head-on and also hit the back end of a semi-truck's trailer before coming to rest at 3:19 p.m. Officers then surrounded the truck, and the driver got out of the vehicle on his own. He walked backward with his hands up until police took him into custody. Strovink said those involved only suffered minor injuries. Authorities closed all northbound lanes of I-205 for several hours following the wreck and diverted traffic around the scene. The whole incident was captured on ODOT cameras.
Cooley has an extensive criminal record with at least 23 prior convictions for robbery, Strovink said. |
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October 7, 2008
- Coos Bay / North Bend, Oregon
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Strovink identified the suspect as 48-year-old Mitchell Sean Cooley of Canby. He was expected to be treated for minor injuries at an area hospital before being lodged in the Clackamas County jail on charges of robbery, attempt to elude, reckless driving and a parole violation, Strovink said.
