Local News

Grants Pass Police arrested a motorist for impaired driving and more after he backed out of a driveway in the south part of the city and crashed into a passing vehicle before fleeing the scene. The Police Department reports officers and emergency crews responded to the two-vehicle collision near the corner of Williams Highway and SE Grandview Avenue on Saturday around 6:15 p.m.. Police said an investigation determined that 38-year-old Kenneth Joseph Feith was impaired when he backed his friend's Nissan Titan from a driveway at a high rate of speed and did not stop for passing traffic. They said he struck the passenger side of a southbound Buick sedan driven by a woman who swerved to avoid impact. The female motorist gave officers a thorough description of the suspect vehicle, which allowed law enforcement to track it down and place Feith into custody. He had offered to drive his friend home because the friend was highly impaired. Feith reportedly refused to participate in field sobriety tests or provide a breath sample, so a search warrant was obtained and he was transported to Three Rivers Medical Center for a legal blood draw that documented a high level of impairment. He was subsequently lodged in jail for Hit-and-Run Causing Property Damage and Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants.

 

The Oregon State Police arrested two out-of-area motorists for impaired driving in Josephine County over the weekend. According to OSP, the first incident occurred on Saturday at 12:04 a.m. when state troopers pulled over a Honda Odyssey driven by a 53-year-old Portland man in the southbound lanes of Interstate 5 near milepost 66. Troopers said they received a driving complaint, the suspect vehicle was located and traffic violations were observed. During contact, the driver showed signs of impairment and performed poorly in field sobriety tests. The second incident happened on Saturday at 2:37 a.m. when troopers responded to a single-vehicle crash in the northbound lanes of I-5 near milepost 66. Troopers said a 37-year-old Eugene man who admitted to dispatchers that he was "high as a kite" failed to remain with his wrecked Hyundai Genesis due to what they called "generalized paranoia." During contact, the driver showed signs of impairment and he declined to participate in field sobriety tests.

 

The Oregon State Police arrested two women on outstanding warrants during contacts in the Grants Pass area late last week. OSP reports the first incident occurred on Friday at 11 a.m. when troopers pulled over a Toyota Camry driven by 29-year-old Allen Junior Strahan on Fruitdale Drive near Gardendale Lane. Troopers said they stopped Strahan for a traffic violation and quickly learned that his passenger -- 25-year-old Katrina Marie Armstrong of Grants Pass -- was wanted on a felony warrant out of Marion County. She was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail without bail. The second incident happened on Friday at 4:41 p.m. when troopers contacted a female subject suspected of criminal activity on Williams Highway at Rosewood Drive. Troopers said 38-year-old Debra Ann Hill of White City was wanted on a Jackson County felony warrant for Manufacture and Delivery of a Controlled Substance. She was lodged in jail on $17,500 bail.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man on an outstanding warrant after he was caught shoplifting at a local supermarket late last week. According to the Police Department, officers responded to a theft complaint at WinCo Foods on NE Terry Lane on Friday at about 4 p.m.. Police said 43-year-old Jason Lee Amundson selected around $125 worth of merchandise at WinCo and passed all points of sale without paying. When he was confronted by loss prevention, he ran to Mod Pizza and left behind the stolen items in a shopping cart. Officers searched the area, located Amundson and placed him into custody. He was found to be wanted on a Jackson County warrant for failing to appear in court for 2nd-Degree Criminal Trespass. Amundson was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant plus a new charge of 2nd-Degree Theft. He was being held without bail.

 

The Josephine County District Attorney's Office has filed charges against two accused drug dealers. Rogue Area Drug Enforcement (RADE) arrested 61-year-old Michael Anthony Malara and 40-year-old Trisha Ann Marry Merk in two separate locations last Thursday. RADE reports Malara was found to be in possession of more than seven pounds of methamphetamine at a residence on Fish Hatchery Road while Merk was found to be in possession nearly 14 pounds of meth plus digital scales, a drug ledger, $6,320 in cash and eight firearms at a residence on Frederick Court in Cave Junction. According to the DA's Office, Malara and Merk were charged separately with Unlawful Possession and Delivery of Methamphetamine on Friday. Both were being held over the weekend without bail at the Josephine County Jail.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a well-known offender for violating his probation late last week by stealing merchandise from two local retailers. The Police Department reports officers arrested 31-year-old Kody Tyler Halverson at WinCo Foods on NE Terry Lane on Friday afternoon. Police said Halverson was seen on surveillance video selecting $121 worth of items and then passing all points of sale without paying for them. When contacted by officers in the loss prevention office, he was found to be in possession of more than $200 worth of items he had stolen from Walmart. According to the report, the items at Walmart had not been reported stolen -- but Walmart was notified and wanted to pursue charges against the suspect. Halverson was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for two counts of 2nd-Degree Theft, one count of 1st-Degree Criminal Trespass and the resulting Probation Violation related to a previous arrest for 2nd-Degree Criminal Mischief. He was being held on a no-bail detainer.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a motorist for causing a weekend crash, fleeing the scene and being found with narcotics when he was lodged in jail. According to the Police Department, officers and emergency crews responded to a two-vehicle collision near the corner of NW Booth and C streets on Saturday at about 4:15 p.m.. Police said an investigation determined 44-year-old Joshua Colin Hawkins was driving a Ford Escape when he struck a GMC Yukon and fled north on Dimmick Street toward Highland Avenue. A witness reported seeing the suspect throw what appeared to be beer bottles from the vehicle as he drove away from the scene. Officers searched the Highland area and were unable to locate the suspect vehicle, but they found it a short time later in a closed garage at a home in the 1100-block of C Street. They contacted Hawkins and conducted an interview before placing him into custody. Hawkins was being booked into the Josephine County Jail when he was found to be in possession of unspecified drugs. He was lodged for Hit-and-Run Causing Property Damage and Felony Supplying Contraband to a Jail Facility.

 

A Grants Pass motorcyclist was both injured and cited after he crashed his bike on Caveman Bridge over the weekend. Grants Pass Police and emergency personnel responded to the single-vehicle wreck on the 6th Street span over the Rogue River on Saturday around 9 p.m.. Police said an investigation indicated that 44-year-old Neil Lynch was accelerating at a high rate of speed on SW 6th Street when the crash occurred. A witness stated the motorcycle's rear wheel lost traction on the wet pavement, which caused the bike to strike the right curb on the bridge and the rider laid it down after losing control. According to the report, Lynch was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash -- but he sustained serious leg injuries from the impact. He was semi-conscious when emergency services arrived on scene. He was transported by ambulance to Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford. Lynch was cited at the hospital for Careless Driving and Failure to Maintain Lane. He was in possession of a firearm that was logged into evidence for safekeeping.

 

No one was hurt when a vehicle struck a deer on Redwood Highway near Cave Junction. On Saturday at 12:23 p.m., the Illinois Valley Fire District, American Medical Response and Oregon Department of Transportation responded to the incident near milepost 27 of US Highway 199. IVFD officials said arriving units found a single vehicle with significant front-end damage consistent with a deer collision. They said no occupants were injured. The vehicle was hauled into town by Jerry's Towing. Firefighters were unable to locate the deer, which was likely deceased.