Local man arrested for allegedly causing 40 miles of mayhem on major highway

EUREKA, Calif. (KIEM)-A Eureka man was arrested and taken to the Lane County jail in Oregon for a slew of charges including hit and run, reckless driving, and criminal mischief. 

The saga began Saturday morning, after Oregon State Police Troopers were dispatched to a reckless driver and hit and run crash on U.S. Highway 101 near milepost 233, just north of North Bend.

The reporting person told police while stopped at a traffic light an older green dodge 15-hundred pickup truck with California plates, struck their vehicle from behind then accelerated in attempts to push the vehicle into the intersection, according Oregon State law officials.

Oregon State Police Troopers located 47-year-old Kevin Simpson of Eureka on U.S. Highway 101, near Milepost 196.

The Dodge, reported stolen out of Eureka, crashed through a gate leading to private property and got stuck in the sand.

Crime analyst & public information officer for the Eureka Police Department says, they did were notified.

“On the 31st we took a stolen vehicle report from the 800-block of Broadway,” said Powell. “A woman reported that her truck had been stolen by someone that she knew, Mr. Simpson.

“Then on Saturday, we got a call from Oregon that the vehicle had been recovered, and Mr. Simpson was in custody.

“They did say that it was involved in multiple traffic collisions up and down the Oregon Coast but not much more than that.” 

Simpson told police he believed he had struck 26 different vehicles.

Anyone who witnessed or was a victim of the reckless driving and hit and run incident is asked to call (541) 269-5000 and leave information with Trooper Douglas Laird