A slow- and high-speed police chase of a Colorado woman wanted on kidnapping charges started Wednesday near Grande Ronde and ended up two hours and 70 miles later north of Yachats after several attempts to disable her car and a police “box in” maneuver.
Corienne A. Meyer, 40, of Ward, Colo. is in the Lincoln County Jail on 11 counts of reckless driving, two counts of attempting to elude police, and two counts of attempted assault. Her bail was initially set at $95,000 with additional charges expected from police in Lincoln City and Newport.
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s office said they were notified at 11:14 a.m. Wednesday that Grand Ronde Tribal Police had terminated their pursuit of a black Jeep Wranger headed west on Oregon Highway 18 after losing sight of the vehicle.
An hour later, Lincoln City police saw the vehicle driving south on U.S. Highway 101 and tried to stop it. The sheriff’s office said the driver sped off, forcing police to end their pursuit because of danger to others.
But police followed the Wrangler as it traveled south on Highway 101. Multiple attempts to deploy spikes north of Newport were unsuccessful due to the high volume of traffic, the sheriff’s office said in a news release, and the pursuit was again ended to avoid hazardous conditions in Newport.
Police stationed at major Newport intersections saw the vehicle driving recklessly while continuing south. Once the vehicle was south of Newport, police attempted another traffic stop but the driver eluded them again.
The sheriff’s office said Deputy Doug Honse successfully spiked one of the Jeep’s front tires near Southwest 68th Street, but it continued speeding south. Another successful spike strip application was made just south of Seal Rock where the second front tire was deflated, the sheriff’s office said. The vehicle continued south on Highway 101 on one rim and one flat tire.
During the chase, the sheriff’s office said police learned the suspected driver’s identity and that she was wanted in Colorado for kidnapping. The sheriff’s office had no other details of that warrant.
The sheriff’s office said that due to the seriousness of the Colorado warrant and the driver’s disregard to public safety, deputies decided to use a rolling “box in” to stop Meyer’s vehicle. The Jeep struck the back of the lead patrol vehicle twice before coming to a complete stop near Wakonda Beach Road between Waldport and Yachats, the sheriff’s office said.
The sheriff’s office said neither Meyer nor any officers were injured.
