Motorcyclist Arrested After Oregon Police Pursuit

Police say the rider admitted his speed was near 150 mph during the incident, said he likes to drive fast and did not want to get another speeding ticket.

Photos: Oregon State Police

(ROSEBURG, Ore.) - A Seattle, Washington man was arrested on several charges Tuesday morning in the Roseburg area after multiple attempts to elude Oregon State Police troopers on Interstate 5 southbound from the Eugene area.

OSP Spokesman Lt. Greg Hastings says an OSP trooper tackled the man off his motorcycle before he could flee again after he had mistakenly taken a dead-end gravel road in southeast Roseburg. Tuesday at approximately 7:30 AM, police received numerous driving complaints of a speeding, reckless motorcycle southbound on Interstate 5 south of Albany near milepost 228.

No OSP troopers were patrolling between Albany and Eugene. At 8:05 AM, Trooper Jared McLain spotted the 2005 Yamaha R6 motorcycle southbound at milepost 187 and overtook it, activating his patrol car's emergency lights to conduct a traffic stop.

He says the motorcycle sped up to speeds estimated near 130 mph, passing other vehicles between traffic lanes and using the center median as Trooper McLain tried to keep it in sight. Near milepost 182, another officer, Senior Trooper Steven Thrapp, had another motorcycle stopped southbound and was monitoring the attempt to elude from Trooper McLain.

24-year old Jean Paul Ungureanu of Seattle, Washington

"Senior Trooper Thrapp moved into the southbound lanes and sped up to 90 mph in front of the Yamaha motorcycle to gain the operator's attention and get him to voluntarily stop. The Yamaha motorcycle 'slungshot' around Senior Trooper Thrapp as if he was 'shot out of a cannon' and eventually disappeared out of the two trooper's sights." Information was forwarded to Trooper Jason Stedman patrolling north of Roseburg. At about 8:35 a.m. as Trooper Stedman was set up near milepost 142, the Yamaha motorcycle came into radar at 115 mph. Eleven miles later, Trooper Stedman was able to overtake the Yamaha motorcycle near milepost 131 and to stop it.

Investigators say the motorcycle sped up to approximately 130 mph as Trooper Stedman lost sight of it near milepost 127 in the Roseburg area. Troopers and Roseburg Police officers were unable to find the motorcycle for about five minutes when a citizen reported seeing it on a city street. Detective Mike Tabor and Trooper Brian Assmus were in an OSP Dodge Charger and spotted the Yamaha motorcycle as it continued in its attempt elude on some area roads. They say the Yamaha motorcycle ended up taking a dead-end gravel road.

As it got to the end, the operator spun the motorcycle around to flee. Trooper Assmus was able to get out of the patrol car and tackle the rider off the motorcycle before he fled again. The operator was taken into custody at about 8:59 AM. The motorcyclist was identified as 24-year old Jean Paul Ungureanu of Seattle, Washington. Neither Trooper Assmus nor Ungureanu was injured. Ungureanu, who admitted his speed was near 150 mph during the incident, said he likes to drive fast and did not want to get another speeding ticket.

Troopers learned the Yamaha motorcycle's license plate display bracket was altered to allow the license plate to be flipped up and tucked under the rear fender to avoid reading the plate, and that Ungureanu exited Interstate 5 at exit 127 and gassed up because he was running out of gas while eluding the officers. He was lodged in the Douglas County Jail on the following charges: Felony Attempt to Elude Police Officers on a Vehicle, Reckless Driving and Recklessly Endangering Another Person. He was also cited by Trooper Stedman for Exceeding the Posted Speed in Excess of 100 mph to wit: 115 mph in a 65 mph speed zone, and Unlawful Display of a License Plate related to the altered display bracket. OSP Trooper McLain drove to the Douglas County Jail and cited Ungureanu on several traffic-related charges in Lane County including Felony Attempt to Elude, Reckless Driving, and Recklessly Endangering Another Person.

Additional citations were reportedly issued including some by Sutherlin Police related to their short involvement in the incident.