High Speed Semi North of Eugene Nabbed for Speeding

The driver was trying to catch up with others who were transporting gear for the rock band Steely Dan, set to play in Ridgefield Washington at the Clark County Amphitheater Thursday night.

Photo of semi-truck courtesy: static.flickr.com Band photo: Steely Dan Unmarked car is not the new Charger, photo by: Tim King

(SALEM) - An Oregon State Police trooper driving an unmarked patrol car stopped and cited a truck driver at 89 mph Wednesday afternoon north of Eugene. The driver said he was attempting to catch up with other vehicles transporting the Steely Dan entourage and equipment enroute to Vancouver, Washington for a Thursday night concert.

OSP Trooper Casey Codding was operating an unmarked 2006 Dodge Charger patrol car just after 11:00 AM Wednesday on Interstate 5 northbound near Coburg, when he spotted a high speed 2007 Peterbuilt truck and semi-trailer northbound near milepost 199, and was able to pace the vehicles at 89 mph in a 55-mph zone.

Codding says he got the truck stopped and contacted the driver, 39-year old Michael Anthony Smith of Mobile, Alabama. Smith told troopers that he was trying to catch up with other vehicles transporting equipment and personnel enroute to Vancouver, Washington as part of the Steely Dan musical group.

The classic rock band Steely Dan hits the stage at the Clark County Amphitheater in Ridgefield, Washington Thursday night in Vancouver.

Smith was cited for the speed violation. Bail was set on the citation at $469.00.

Beginning in July 2004, the Oregon State Police Aggressive Driving Enforcement Plan campaign utilizes unmarked street-appearing police packaged cars to help deter and stop aggressive driving violators. The plan was developed to put these special equipped vehicles in different parts of the state after seeing a dramatic rise in driving complaints and a noticeable increase in higher speeds driven on highways.

Five unmarked vehicles have been working out of OSP offices in Tualatin, Salem, Springfield, Central Point, and Bend. Equipped with front and rear video cameras, radar, and highly visible emergency lighting equipment, the vehicles are difficult to recognize except when stopping violators.

One critic who spoke to Salem-News.com says it isn't the actual unmarked police cars that they are worried about, it is the criminal element that the police create by using unmarked cars. "People get used to stopping for anything with a Starsky and Hutch light, and from time to time, innocent victims are never seen again." It is a fact that there is a history of criminals taking advantage of the police tactic.

Information regarding the OSP unmarked cars and their aggressive driver program's first year efforts is available on the OSP website in the news release section at www.oregon.gov/OSP. The news release is dated July 13th, 2005.

The Oregon State Police encourage motorists traveling throughout Oregon to play an important role in keeping aggressive and dangerous drivers from endangering others on our highways. Immediately report aggressive, dangerous, and intoxicated drivers to the Oregon State Police at 1-800-24DRUNK (1-800-243-7865).