James Donald Trute, 31, faces numerous charges after a high-speed chase Saturday that started in Sweet Home and ended in the Calapooia River near Crawfordsville.
According to Police Chief Robert Burford, approximately 9:30 a.m. Officer Ryan Cummings attempted to stop a suspicious vehicle in the 600 block of Main Street. The vehicle drove through the parking lot of the Sweet Home Thriftway and proceeded westbound on Hwy. 20 at a high rate of speed.
Cummings and another Sweet Home officer followed the vehicle west on Hwy. 20 to Dew Road and then to Scott Mountain Road, which crosses back towards Hwy. 228. On Scott Mountain Road the suspect threw items out of the vehicle that appeared to be power tools. When the pursuit reached Crawfordsville Drive, it turned towards Holley School.
Another Sweet Home officer deployed spike strips and one of the suspect’s tires was flattened. The suspect did not stop but did slow the vehicle slightly. The deflated tire disintegrated and the suspect continued to flee, running on the rim only.
The suspect entered onto Hwy. 228 and drove westbound towards I-5. Near Crawfordsville the suspect slowed and then jumped from the car. The car continued a short distance before running off the side of the road. The suspect fled on foot wards the nearby Calapooia River. He jumped in and swam to a nearby island where he removed some heavy outer clothing. While officers shouted commands to him he jumped back into the rapidly moving water and floated out of sight towards downtown Crawfordsville.
While Sweet Home officers combed the river banks, OSP and LCSO officers patrolled the area. After approximately 30 minutes, the suspect was found hiding in bushes near the river.
Trute was taken into custody without further incident. A Sweet Home medic unit was called to the scene to treat Trute for hypothermia and injuries he sustained from submerged rocks in the river.
Trute was lodged at the Linn County Jail and charged with nine outstanding arrest warrants from Lane county, Eugene and Linn county. Additional charges include two counts of attempting to elude (vehicle and on foot), PCS meth and several traffic violations including DWS.