Deputies Nabbed Motorist for Impaired Driving after Vehicle Crash in Merlin
The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a motorist for impaired driving after he crashed his vehicle in Merlin early yesterday.
According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies and emergency crews responded to the single-vehicle wreck in the 400-block of Merlin Road right after 7 a.m. Thursday.
Deputies said an investigation determined that 70-year-old Ronald Lee Rathjen was driving a Honda while exiting the town when he went off the roadway into a ditch and kept driving until he got to Merlin Community Park.
Witnesses said the Honda was all over the road before the crash and Rathjen told deputies he thought he fell asleep at the wheel. He showed multiple signs of impairment, performed poorly in field sobriety tests and was placed into custody.
Rathjen was transported to Grants Pass and lodged in jail for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants and Reckless Driving. His vehicle -- which sustained minor damage -- was impounded.
Posted on 7/4/25 11:03AM by Sam Marsh
