LA GRANDE, Ore. -- A 17-year-old Boise boy was arrested in Oregon Wednesday after police say he led troopers on a high-speed chase before crashing his car into the woods along I-84.
The pursuit began at 12:25 p.m. after Oregon State Police troopers spotted the Toyota Camry speeding west on the interstate about two miles east of La Grande. A trooper attempted to pull the car over, but the driver kept going, police say, reaching speeds over 110 mph.
OSP at first terminated the chase for safety reasons but picked the pursuit back up after the 17-year-old continued driving recklessly. A short time later, the Camry crashed into the guardrail, veered into the woods, and caught fire.
Police say the boy got out of the car holding a machete, and after a short standoff, ran away from the troopers. OSP set up a perimeter around the area and found the teen. Troopers persuaded him to drop the machete, then took him into custody.
The boy was not injured in the crash, according to the Associated Press.
The teen is facing charges of reckless driving, felony eluding, and misdemeanor eluding. His name has not been released.
The Camry became totally engulfed in flames after the wreck, blocking the right lane of I-84 for about two hours. OSP received assistance from the Union County Sheriff’s Office, Union County Juvenile Department, La Grande Fire Department, Department of Human Services (DHS) and Oregon Department of Transportation.
