Citizens help apprehend suspect after Highway 99 driving rampage that killed 1 in Eugene

A woman camping in a tent was hit and killed and a pedestrian was critically injured by a man driving an SUV, following a Thursday afternoon rampage on Highway 99.

With the entire crime scene stretching about a mile and a half of Highway 99 near Barger Drive, police are still investigating the details about why the man recklessly drove the wrong direction, left the road and went onto the sidewalk, Eugene Police Chief Chris Skinner said at a Thursday press conference.

Jeremy Mills told The Register-Guard he was test driving a vehicle when he saw the driver, chased him and then held down the suspect until police arrived. Mills, the inventory manager at Best Value Automotive, said he was near Prairie Road when he saw the man drive over the railroad tracks, through a ravine and then through the area with tent campers.

"He jumped his vehicle up out of the ravine, that's when he hit the first set of tents," Mills said. "At this point my brain still hadn't registered what I was seeing this with my own eyes."

Eugene Police Department got a call about a reckless driver in a gray Toyota 4Runner running over someone in a tent at around 3:45 p.m., Skinner said.

Witnesses reported the man was driving south in the northbound lanes, up on the sidewalk, and that he left the roadway near Barger Drive when he hit the camper, Skinner said.

"He came back up on the roadway, then continued south on 99, all over the road," Skinner said.

The driver continued onto the sidewalk and hit a pedestrian in front of the Dari Mart convenience store south of Patterson Street, Skinner said.

Police then located the suspect in the parking lot of Knechts Auto Parts, where civilians had helped to apprehend the man, according to Skinner.

The pedestrian hit outside Dari Mart was transported to the hospital with critical injuries, Skinner said. The second victim was also a woman, according to Dari Mart employee Treanna Pike who responded immediately after the woman was injured.

The suspect was also taken to the hospital, but Skinner was unsure about the severity of his injuries.

A man was in the same tent as the woman killed and was unharmed, but Skinner said it was "very close."

"He reports it was feet by which he was missed," Skinner said.

Citizens try to help stop suspect

Mills, one of the people who helped apprehend the suspect, said he turned his SUV around and began following the suspect after he saw him drive through the ravine to the east of the highway.

Mills followed the vehicle after the tents were hit, driving south on Highway 99 while he watched the man drive on the sidewalk. During the chase Mills said he saw the man run a red light at the intersection of Bethel Drive and was almost hit. Mills said he was trying to find a way to stop him.

"I was trying to pick my opportunity to get over to ram his car with mine, but I just couldn't do it," Mills said.

Eventually the vehicle pulled into the Knechts Auto Parts store, and Mills, 46, said he fought the driver and then held him down until police showed up a few minutes later, with other bystanders coming to help hold his arms down.

"He got out. I got out, and I just went on instinct; I cracked him right in his face and took his ass down," Mills said.

While holding him down, Mills said he asked the man, "What were you thinking?" The response Mills got, he said, was, "I had a bad day," followed by laughing. Mills described the suspect as a young, white man.

"The laugh he gave, I'm never going to forget it," Mills said.

Investigation continues

So far police are not sure what the motive was or if there was one and are still trying to determine what the suspected charges will be, Skinner said. They are not sure yet if drugs, alcohol or any mental impairment were factors, he said.

"We're early enough in the investigation that we just don't know," Skinner said.

Police closed down a 2-mile stretch of Highway 99 between Roosevelt Boulevard and Barger Drive during the investigation, Skinner said. The entire crime scene stretched about a mile and a half, Skinner said. It was reopened a little after 8 p.m. on Thursday.

Police are still working to determine if there were other injuries or notable property damage, Skinner said.

Just prior to the Highway 99 incidents, the Lane County Sheriff's Office received three reports of a reckless driver with a similar vehicle description. The calls came from Prairie Road near Beacon Drive, and on Northwest Expressway heading south, according to Sgt. Raymond May. Callers said the 4Runner drove through people's yards, and almost hit people.

Louis Krauss covers breaking news for The Register-Guard. Contact him at lkrauss@registerguard.com or 541-521-2498, and follow him on Twitter @LouisKraussNews.

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Drivers hits, kills one, injures others on Highway 99 in Eugene