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.