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By ELROY KING
For the
Hood River News
A pursuit along Interstate 84 Tuesday night
ended when a vehicle driven by a
Thomsen Road
man crashed into the patrol car of a
Hood
River
City
police officer.
The driver of the suspect vehicle was
identified by Oregon State Police as Donald Lee Hendershot Jr.,
48.
He and Officer Mike Martin were taken to
Providence
Hood
River
Memorial
Hospital
after Hendershot hit the parked patrol car head-on.
Highway 30 was closed for about 90 minutes as
a result of the accident, which occurred about
6 p.m. Dec. 1 to the south of the freeway at the
Mosier exit.
Although Martin was treated at the medical
center and released, Hendershot was transported via ambulance to
Oregon
Health & Science
University
for further evaluation.
“I’m just glad that it was me that he hit and
not somebody on the freeway,” said Martin in a follow-up
interview.
Julie Wilcox, an OSP sergeant from
The Dalles headquarters, said
Hendershot did not appear to have any injuries resulting from
the accident but he may have had other medical issues.
The pursuit reportedly began when Hendershot
pulled into the rest area at
Memaloose
State Park. According to witness
statements, he appeared to be walking with difficulty and made
repeated trips to the restroom. He also allegedly had trouble
finding the key to the door of his vehicle and ended up breaking
a window to gain entry.
A U.S. Forest Service employee who observed
this erratic behavior attempted to stop Hendershot’s vehicle
from leaving the parking lot. However, the man sped away and
headed west on the freeway.
Martin attempted to intercept the fleeing
vehicle in the Mosier area. He had stopped the patrol car to
determine which way Hendershot was headed when the car was hit
by the suspect vehicle.
According to an OSP reports, Hendershot
become uncooperative with emergency medical technicians while en
route to the
Hood
River
hospital.
Wilcox said the reason for the man’s
incoherent actions has not yet been determined.
Wasco County deputies also assisted in the
incident, which is still under investigation. As of press time
on Friday no charges against Hendershot had been filed.
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