Local News

The Oregon State Police arrested a Grants Pass woman for impaired driving and her passenger on an outstanding warrant following a weekend traffic stop on US Highway 199. According to OSP, troopers stopped a Toyota RAV-4 driven by 20-year-old Trinity Isis Anderson near milepost 4 of Redwood Highway on Saturday shortly before midnight. Troopers said they stopped Anderson for a traffic violation and she showed signs of impairment. After performing poorly in field sobriety tests, she was taken to the Grants Pass Sobering Center where she provided a breath sample that was nearly twice the legal driving limit. Anderson was lodged at the Sobering Center for Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, Reckless Driving, two counts of Reckless Endangering and Exceeding the Speed Limit by More Than 31 Miles Per Hour. Her vehicle was impounded. One of Anderson's passengers -- 30-year-old Andrew O'Grady of Selma -- was arrested on a bench warrant for failing to appear in court. He was cited and then released.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a woman for impaired driving early yesterday after receiving complaints from some concerned citizens. According to the Police Department, officers received a complaint about a Nissan Altima driven by 34-year-old Brittney Louise Allen on Redwood Avenue around 1 a.m. Sunday. About 15 minutes later, another complaint was called in about the same car with a female driver slumped over the wheel in the Walmart parking lot. Police said they were advised that two of Allen's friends picked her up and drove her to a home on Kokanee Lane. Officers located the suspect passed out in the rear of the other vehicle. Friends of the suspect advised they were all at The Copper Mug when Allen was kicked out due to her high level of intoxication. Upon contact with Allen, officers said she displayed numerous signs of impairment and was unable to perform field sobriety tests. She was taken to the Josephine County Jail where she provided a positive breath sample and was then lodged for Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol and two counts of Reckless Endangering. While they were searching for Allen, police pulled over a vehicle which matched the description of the Nissan. But no indicators of impairment were observed and the unidentified driver was warned for Unlawful Lane Change.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office received an assist from the Grants Pass Police Department when deputies arrested a motorist for impaired driving at Three Rivers Medical Center. According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies initially tried to pull over a vehicle driven by 35-year-old Anthony Thomas at the intersection of Fairgrounds Road and Union Avenue on Saturday around 12:15 a.m.. Deputies said they followed Thomas into the ambulance area of the hospital's emergency wing where he finally stopped. They said he displayed strong signs of impairment, performed poorly in field sobriety tests and was placed into custody. Anthony Thomas was taken to the Grants Pass Sobering Center where he provided a breath sample that was nearly twice the legal driving limit. He was charged with Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol and Reckless Driving before being cited to appear in court and released.

 

Grants Pass Police cited both drivers involved in a weekend collision at a busy intersection near the high school. According to the Police Department, officers and emergency crews responded to the two-vehicle crash at NE 7th and A streets on Friday around 4:45 p.m.. Police said Catelynn Anderson was driving a Toyota RAV-4 when she ran through the stop sign and T-boned a minivan driven by a man identified only as "Dawley." The force of the crash caused the minivan to roll onto its side, blocking one lane. Dawley suffered a minor injury and was treated at the scene. Anderson was not hurt. At least one of the vehicles was towed. Multiple witnesses reported Anderson was the at-fault driver and she was cited for Failure to Obey a Traffic Control Device. Dawley was cited for Driving While Suspended.

 

A motorist was ejected and seriously injured in a rollover crash in the Hugo area early yesterday. On Sunday at 1:58 a.m., Rural Metro Fire Department, Grants Pass Fire & Rescue, American Medical Response, the Josephine County Sheriff's Office and Oregon State Police were all dispatched to the single-vehicle wreck on Jumpoff Joe Creek Road. Emergency crews converged on the scene and rendered aid to the sole occupant who was ultimately transported by ambulance to a trauma hospital in Medford. Details about the cause of the crash were being withheld by law enforcement as they completed an investigation. At about the same time, OSP also received a third-hand report through social media about a crash that was possibly up either Shanks Creek Road or Shan Creek Road. Rural Metro sent crews to check out both locations, which are a large distance apart. After a thorough investigation, it was determined that all the information received was related to the Jumpoff Joe Creek Road crash. While technology and social media platforms have created conveniences for everyday life, first responders are urging that whenever possible, a direct phone call to 9-1-1 is best for summoning aid to an emergency. It has the lowest chance of misinterpretation, confusion and delay.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a woman for struggling with officers after she trashed a city park late last week. The Police Department reports officers eventually arrested 62-year-old Julie Ann Hatt for the incident at Kesterson Park on Friday morning. Police said they contacted Hatt at the park on NE Evelyn Avenue and she had what they described as a "truck load" of trash and property strewn about the park, the sidewalk and a nearby church parking lot. They advised her that she was under arrest and she fled. One officer was able to capture Hatt and she resisted arrest, so he took her to the ground in order to place her into custody. She was not injured. Julie Hatt was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Resisting Arrest, Escape and Offensive Littering. Her dog was taken to Animal Control and her small cart of non-soiled items were placed in safekeeping. The truckload of trash was disposed.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a woman on an outstanding warrant after receiving a report of suspicious activity near Caveman Bridge at the beginning of the weekend. According to the Police Department, officers were alerted to a suspect trying to roll up the doors and break into a business on SW Lewis Avenue at 7:22 p.m. Friday. Responding officers contacted 39-year-old Teresa Ann Batts at the scene and they discovered that she was wanted on a Grants Pass warrant for failing to appear in court for 2nd-Degree Criminal Trespass. While placing her into custody, they found her to be in possession of a small baggy containing methamphetamine. Teresa Batts was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant and for the narcotics violation. The building was secured. There were no signs of forced entry.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a man connected to a Cave Junction theft investigation during a traffic stop late last week. According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies pulled over a vehicle driven by 37-year-old Edward Everidge in the 500-block of West River Street on Friday at 2:45 p.m.. Deputies said they immediately recognized Everidge as the suspect in a probable cause investigation into thefts at a local store. They said he was very cooperative and admitted to the thefts. He also returned keys for the store to law enforcement. Edward Everidge was charged with three counts of Computer Crime and one count of 2nd-Degree Theft. He was cited to appear in court and released from custody.

 

Grants Pass police officers and firefighters logged an impressive activity level during the first full week of autumn. According to the Weekly Report filed by Grants Pass City Manager Aaron Cubic, police responded to 704 calls for service plus 271 officer-initiated calls last week that resulted in 51 arrests, 39 citations, 57 warnings and four highly-intoxicated people being lodged at the Sobering Center. The Community Response Team (CRT) made a total of 96 contacts with potential trouble-makers while arrested five people, citing 11 more and warning 27 others. The CRT unit also trespassed 10 individuals and posted 44 new transient camps. Grants Pass Fire & Rescue responded to a total of 102 calls last week including 42 for emergency medical service, two for reports of fire or smoke, 14 lift assists, six rescue situations, three assists to other agencies and three false alarms. Firefighters also performed 38 business inspections, led two education programs, assisted the public three times and properly installed 11 child car seats for young families. The 9-1-1 Dispatch Center fielded a total of 1,175 emergency calls in addition to 908 calls for non-emergency service.